riendly Chats 
With 

Possible Americans 

Hawkeye Civics 
For 

Worth While Folks 



I 

\ 


THE PRICE? LETS MAKE IT A THRIFT STAMP, 







FRIENDLY HOUSE 


A SETTLEMENT FOR SOCIAL SERVICE 
At 1220 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 



MAINTAINED BY 


THE DAVENPORT FRIENDLY SOCIETY 

PRESIDENT—HON. ALFRED C. MUELLER 
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT-HON. NATHANIEL FRENCH 
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT—CHARLES SHULER 
TREASURER-FRANK A. JOHNSON 
SECRETARY-HARRY E. DOWNER 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES-E. P. ADLER, MAJOR N. D. ELY, HON. C. A. 
FICKE, HON. NATHANIEL FRENCH, VERY REV. MARMADUKE 
HARE, LIEUT. J. REED LANE, PAUL MEYER, HON. ALFRED C. 
MUELLER, MAX E. OCHS, E. C. ROBERTS, H. O. SEIFFERT, 
CHARLES SHULER, HON. HENRY VOLLMER, T. J. WALSH, W. H. 
WILSON 


HEAD RESIDENT—HARRY E. DOWNER 










THE SCOTT COUNTY COURT HOUSE AT DAVENPORT 













CHATS WITH POSSIBLE 
AMERICANS 


SOME HELP IN CIVICS GIVEN WORTH-WHILE FOLKS 


HARRY E.'DOWNER 

- /! 

HEAD RESIDENT OF FRIENDLY HOUSE 
DAVENPORT, IOWA 


3 


COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY 
THE FRIENDLY HOUSE DROOKERY 


1 ) ) 


THIS IS PRINTED FOR ANYBODY WHO WILL READ 



A PREFACE. 


This thin book was written by the head resident of Friendly House 
and the settlement drookery enlisted in its printing because it seemed 
as if there was some need of just such help for the possible Americans 
in Davenport, men from overseas who are really trying to learn of this 
land that they may gain citizenship here and who turn to all sources 
that promise aid. Some of the handbooks they buy are helpful; oth¬ 
ers give information either misleading or too general to be of value. 
None of the handbooks on the market fit Iowa conditions. The men 
who study them, already confused by random bits of knowledge they 
cannot piece together, are still more confused by the handbooks. 

In this booklet the facts of government are, in large part, put in the 
question and answer form, not because this is the best way to learn 
these things, but because this is the method New Americans seem to 
prefer. Supervised reading directed to a focus would bring greater in¬ 
formation and lessen the danger of the parrot viewpoint and parrot 
training. But this is the way the men want it, and in leading them to 
a difficult task their wishes must be considered. 

Friendly House has always been interested in immigrants, appre¬ 
ciates their great contribution to American industry, to American so¬ 
cial and artistic life and tries to help th 3m feel at home in this great 
land of ours. Classes in English have been conducted. An annual 
welcome to the men who have attained citizenship through naturali¬ 
zation during the previous year is a pleasant event of the settlement 
winter. The beginning has been made of a series of smokers for aliens, 
who may be, perhaps, declarants or petitioners, and for lately natural¬ 
ized citizens. The head resident of Friendly House has served as 
teacher of classes at the Davenport Institute where men study and 
prepare for the examination in civics at the court hearing for second 
papery. 

Friendly House hopes to increase in usefulness to men and women, 
American in soul and spirit although not American in birth and lineage. 
It is good for all of us to remember that Americanism is not a matter 
of birth and descent; it is a devotion to principles that make strong our 
national life. America of the spirit welcomes to its brotherhood all 
men of alTraces who believe in life, liberty and the pursuit of happi¬ 
ness, who believe in the equality of privilege and opportunity, and iri 
that forrh of government which derives its powers from the consent of 
the governed. To those born under the starry flag American citizen¬ 
ship is simply a blessed heritage; to those who attain it by naturaliza¬ 
tion it is a glorious achievement. 

-s3cI.A5(I] 5;)8 

*»• 


Abb 28 1918 


\ 


O I 


THE TEACHER HAS A LITTLE CHAT WITH THE CLASS IN CIVICS ON 

CITIZENSHIP. 


A few minutes ag'o, just before time for the afternoon lesson, Mr. 
Goossen and I were talKing, and he told me that he voted for Presi¬ 
dent while he was in ArKansas, but someone told him at the last Pres¬ 
idential election that he could not vote in Iowa. Let us chat a while 
about this matter of citizenship and voting. Mr. Goossen tells me that 
he had not been in this country very long—coming here from Holland 
—but had taKen out his first paper at the time he first voted in America. 
It is a good thing for all of you to Know why it is possible for “first pa¬ 
per men ” to vote in one state and not in another. Strange as it may 
seem, not all American citizens may vote, while those who are not cit¬ 
izens sometimes vote. This is because the United States controls cit¬ 
izenship and determines who may be considered citizens. It is a na¬ 
tional matter. The right to vote is given by each state to its residents 
under such limitations as that state may fix without regard to the vot¬ 
ing rules of other states. Citizenship is a national matter. Voting is a 
state matter. As I said before, not all citizens of the United States can 
vote. Children are citizens but have no vote. Women are citizens, but 
vote liKe men in only ten stales. In other states they have a limited 
ballot. In Iowa, for instance, women may vote only at school elections 
for or against any plan that would cause the school district to borrow 
money. Some states do not allow a man to vote who cannot read and 
write. Some refuse the ballot to men who have not paid certain taxes. 
Other states are not at all particular, allowing even aliens to vote if 
they have taKen out the first paper and have been in the state six 
months. Some of the states also allow the wives of such alien declar¬ 
ants to vote. It does not seem right to some of us that any state should 
let any immigrant not a citizen of the United States help elect the Pres¬ 
ident who is an official of the United States government and not of any 
state. But there are states that do this. We Iowa Americans thinK we 
have made wise rules of election. In our state no man may vote un¬ 
less he is an American citizen, native or naturalized, and has been in 
the state six months, in the county 60 days and in the voting precinct 
ten days. Each state is free to decide who may vote within its boun¬ 
daries except that the Constitution limits a decision in one particular. 
At the close of the Civil war during which slavery was stopped, blacK 
people were made citizens and the United States Constitution was 
changed to forbid that anywhere in this country a citizen should be 
kept from voting on account of his race or color or because he had 
been a slave. 

Now that this puzzle of citizenship and voting has been some¬ 
what cleared, let us chat a while about American citizenship in general. 
You are all members of this class because you want to become citizens 
of the United States. We heartily welcome you here, because we are 
glad to help people like you. It is a very great thing to say, “ I am an 
American citizen. ’’ We are glad that you have chosen this for your 


4 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


country and mean to become in heart and spirit thorough Americans. 
The way is open to you. The United States fought one war to gain 
world recognition of the American principle that a people has a right 
to self-government. We fought another war to defend and establish 
another American principle, that a man has a right to choose his citi¬ 
zenship, that a man born in a foreign land has a right to change his al¬ 
legiance and become a citizen of this country. This privilege of Amer¬ 
ican citizenship may not, however, be gained by all born in other 
lands. There are limitations of age and race and language, and other 
limitations as well, that we will talK over in other chats on naturaliza¬ 
tion in other lessons. Not all alien applicants are accepted, but when 
citizenship has once been bestowed, no foreign nation may claim the 
right to question our methods in receiving citizens. Naturalized citi¬ 
zens are protected in their American citizenship if this citizenship 
through choice is disputed by some foreign power. 

The Constitution tells who are citizens. The fourteenth amend¬ 
ment begins: “ All persons born or naturalized in the United States, 
and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States 
and of the state wherein they reside. ” All persons born in this coun¬ 
try—that includes in our citizenship the children of alien parents, even 
the children of parents belonging to races liKe the Mongolian whose 
members cannot be naturalized. It includes children born to Ameri¬ 
can parents traveling abroad and does not include children born to 
alien parents visiting in this country. A single woman of foreign birth 
may become a citizen by taKing the various steps in naturalization 
just as a man taKes them. Citizenship gained through naturalization 
includes the wife of the new citizen and such of his minor children 
of foreign birth as come to this country to live. The widow of a man 
who has taKen out his first paper may become a citizen—and her mi¬ 
nor children in this land with her—by completing the process of gain¬ 
ing citizenship which her husband began. If a single woman is quali- 
fi©d for citizenship in accordance with naturalization requirements, 
she may become a citizen of the United States by marrying a citizeri 
either native or naturalized. Persons coming to this country as minor 
children must gain citizenship by taKing all steps in naturalization if 
their parents did not win citizenship for them in the naturalization 
court before these children became of age. A minor child of foreign 
birth cannot gain citizenship through being adopted by an American 
citizen. 

The claims of step-children to citizenship were definitely set forth 
in instructions of the Attorney General of the United States, dated 1918, 
regarding the registration of alien enemies. One paragraph reads- 
“ The marriage of an alien widow to an American citizen during the 
minority of her children naturalizes as American citizens such of her 
minor children as are dwelling in the United States at the time of said 
marriage.” Still more liberal is this definition: “If the second or sub¬ 
sequent husband of an alien widow becomes naturalized as an Amer¬ 
ican citizen, the minor children of such widow residing permanently in 
the United States at the time of the naturalization of such husband 
are thereby naturalized as American citizens. ” 


CITIZENSHIP 


5 


Now a few words as to the loss of American citizenship. In line 
with the American principle that every man may choose his country 
our g'overnment freely allows American citizens who wish to change 
allegiance to become naturalized in another country and become cit¬ 
izens of that country. This permission is withheld, however, when this 
nation is at war. An especial rule permitting expatriation is made for 
naturalized citizens. If such a citizen shall again maKe his home for 
two years in the country of which he was formerly a citizen, or for five 
years in another foreign country, he will be considered as having given 
up his American citizenship, unless he has taKen pains to Keep alive 
through our foreign consular service his connection with this land. 
Even as an alien woman gains citizenship by marrying an American 
citizen, an American woman loses her citizenship by marrying an alien. 
She then taKes his nationality. If later she shall cease to be the wife 
of an alien, she may regain American citizenship in one of several 
ways provided by naturalization laws. 

Do not be offended by the word " alien. ” It is not a bad name I 
am calling you. Alien means “ another. ” It is a short way of saying, 
“ a citizen of another land. ” Our laws talK of alien friends and alien 
enemies. An alien enemy is one who still owes allegiance to a coun¬ 
try with which the United States is at war. We who have lived be¬ 
side him may Know that he is a good fellow, a law-Keeping, sober, sav¬ 
ing man who will maKe a fine citizen when he is allowed to become 
an American. But just now he is an “ alien enemy ” in the law booKs 
and cannot taKe out his second paper until peace comes. He must be 
patient, meanwhile, and enjoy the gocdwil’ of his American neighbors 
and hope for the time to come soon when he can line up with the rest 
of us in proud and contented American citizenship. 

One of the men in the second row has asKed about Indians and if 
they are citizens. They surely are Americans; they were here first^ 
but I do not Know if they have been allowed the privileges of citizen¬ 
ship. I will looK it up and tell you what I find out. 

A CHAT WITH THE CLASS ON 

THE PRIVILEGES OF ALIENS. 

America is very good to aliens. Under our Kind laws it is possible 
for a man who comes from another land to live in Davenport, or else¬ 
where, year after year, without asKing for citizenship. He may own 
his own home, engage in business, maKe money under the guarding 
care of our laws. This money he is free to send to banKs in his own 
land. He may maKe entry and afterward own a fine tract of public 
land. The wife of a declarant who becomes insane may maKe a home¬ 
stead entry under the public land laws of this country. If she later 
cares to do so, she may become a citizen, and thus give citizenship 
to her minor children, without taKing out her first paper. 

Iowa also grants to the alien great liberty and protection of law. 
He can own property, real and personal, liKe a citizen. He can buy, 
sell and inherit property which the law protects from plundering and 


6 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE CITIZENS 


which local authority guards from loss by theft or destruction by fire. 
He is safeguarded in his enjoyment of the blessings of freedom which 
we share with him. He may sue for debt or recover personal damages 
through the courts. He may taKe out a patent on an invention and pro¬ 
tect his trademarK by appeal to law. Should his country engage in 
war with ours, he is secure in person and property until he is ordered 
to leave the United States, and that is not liKely to happen. He comes 
and goes freely, crossing state lines without a passport or police regis¬ 
try. When he dies, he may bequeath his property to whom he may 
please and the Iowa courts see that his wishes are carried out. The 
alien is expected to pay taxes, if he has property, but in no other re¬ 
spect is he asKed to get under the burden of responsibility of main¬ 
taining or defending this land where he lives in peace and raises, per¬ 
haps, a family of aliens. 

I wonder if you do not agree with me in thinking that there should 
be some date in every alien’s stay in this land, whether it be five years 
or ten years from landing, in any event, some date, when he should 
make arrangements to stay, or thank us for his pleasant visit and kiss 
us goodbye. He should have every opportunity to inform himself as to 
American citizenship and then make up his mind if he wants it for 
himself, his wife and his children. Some aliens think of how much 
better off they are here and are grateful to this land of opportunity. 
Others are not. They bring with them hatred for all the government 
they have known and keep on hating our kind government, as well. 
Such guests make American people very, very tired. 

One day in a citizenship class I asked the alien men present what 
return each could make for the protection given by our government. 
One man answered, “Obey the laws and keep my mouth shut.” That 
seems a little abrupt, but when you think it over the answer has merit. 
It is a good rule for guests in any home, for aliens in any land, if by 
keeping one’s mouth shut is meant to keep from noisy class hatred 
and from creating strife, from malicious discontent and from abuse of 
the government which makes life worth living. Americans get restless 
when constantly criticised by foreigners who are aliens, or by foreigners 
who have remained foreigners clear through the naturalization process. 
To such people one wishes to say, “Why, in heaven’s name did you 
leave such a beautiful country as yours must be, and why—also in 
heaven’s name—do you not go back?”' 

THE TEACHER TALKS TO THE CLASS AT THE DAVENPORT INSTITUTE ON 

NATURAUZATION. 


This long word is one you will soon become familiar with in this 
class. That is what we talk about. Nat-u-ral-i-za-tion—give it all its 
syllables when you say it—is the process a nation takes to adopt the 
citizens of another nation. In this way America makes you a part of 
the c^overnment, for here the people rule. You enter into all the privi¬ 
leges enjoyed by Uie native citizens. Well, no—there is one exception. 


NATURALIZATION 


7 


You can never become the President or Vice President of the United 
States, but there are quite a number of us who were born here, all right, 
who are not planning to serve as President this year, and live in the 
White House, which perhaps you Know, is the home of the President 
at Washington, D. C. D. C. ? That means District of Columbia. We 
have one state, the national capital, many other cities and towns, and 
counties as well, named Washington, and for a good reason. 

In our chat on citizenship we talKed of limits put on naturalization 
by United States law. Of people born in foreign lands only those of 
the white race and those of African birth or descent are allowed to en¬ 
ter citizenship through naturalization. Only those of proper race, 21 
years of age, living in this country and intending to maKe it their home, 
can become citizens in this way. To be naturalized an alien must 
have been a resident of the United States five years and have Kept 
the laws of state and nation. He must have two friends who are citi¬ 
zens themselves and who will swear with him to these facts. They 
must also swear that he will maKe a good American citizen. The 
naturalization laws maKe an exception to the rule of five years of resi¬ 
dence in the case of an alien who having first taKen out his first paper 
shall serve three years on a merchant vessel of the United States. 
Such a man may go into court with his first paper and his discharge 
and certificate of good conduct on ship and be admitted to citizenship 
without delay or further proof of fitness. He is also entitled to protec¬ 
tion as an American citizen while serving on board the merchant ship, 
if he has declared his intention of becoming a citizen. 

The man who asKs for citizenship through naturalization must be 
neither anarchist nor polygamist. He must renounce all debt of racial 
obligation, all allegiance to the country from which became. He must 
be loyal to this government. He must taKeour flag for his flag. For the 
rights he will gain he must assume the duties of the new citizenship. 
He must be an hundred per cent American. And throughout the trip 
from alienism to citizenship the alien should remember that naturali¬ 
zation is a privilege which he seeKs and not a right which he may de¬ 
mand. 

One of the conditions under which an alien secures citizenship by 
naturalization is that he shall convince the court which gives him his 
second paper that he is attached to the principles of the Constitution. 
We will learn of these principles in a later lesson. For fear you may 
have a picnic that day and miss the lesson, I will tell you three of the 
finest principles of the Constitution in three words—liberty, equality and 
justice. Don’t forget them. An alien who is 18 years of age may gain 
citizenship at any time before he is 21 by the naturalization of his par¬ 
ents, or if for any reason he does not expect to secure citizenship in 
that way, he can begin naturalization proceedings for himself. An alien, 
if he is 18 years of age, may apply for his first paper at any time after 
he reaches this country. Two years later he can get his second paper, 
providing he has then lived in this country for a term of five years. 
The Bureau of Naturalization at Washington expects that during the 
years between the issuing of the first and second papers that the man 
who told of his intention to gain citizenship will fit himself to deserve 


8 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


it, that he will Keep busy in learning English, in studying the Constitu¬ 
tion and in finding facts about our government. Those who grant citi¬ 
zenship must satisfy themselves on three grounds—residence, charac¬ 
ter and loyalty. The rule of five years’ continuous residence does not 
prevent a visit to the old homeland. In the second point, that of char¬ 
acter, the petitioner must show himself to be one who Keeps the laws, 
must show that he is peaceable and well-disposed. Felons, thieves, 
murderers, law-breaKers, are not admitted to citizenship. Courts have 
held that in states where gambling is prohibited gambling aliens may 
not expect to become American citizens. Also that in states llKe Iowa 
where the statutes prohibit liquor selling, a man who breaKs this law 
may be refused citizenship. The subject of loyalty is a fine one and 
a big one. It shall have a chat all by itself one of these days. 

That you may have a looK at the end from the beginning, let me 
read to you the oath of allegiance which closes the process of natural¬ 
ization. When a man has once said these words he is no longer an 
alien; he is neither declarant nor petitioner, but an American citizen 
ready to receive his certificate of citizenship. The oath: 

“I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and en¬ 
tirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to 
any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and 
particularly to—name of sovereign of country—of whom 
I have heretofore been a subject; that I will support and 
defend the Constitution and laws of the United States 
of America against all enemies, foreign or domestic, 
and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the 
same. ” 

There is a great deal pacKed in that single sentence. 

Masses of people have been made citizens of the United States in 
the past in several ways—by conquest, by purchase of territory, by 
treaty, by admission of new states. We are concerned just now with 
individual citizenship gained in court through naturalization. Many 
people do not liKe to go into a court room. They are not exactly 
afraid, but it is not, to them, a pleasant place to enter. They thinK 
of crime and punishment whsn anyone talKs of a court. Such people 
should remember that courts protect and defend much more than they 
punish. Nobody would have any rights if the law and court did not 
guard him. A man who asKs for citizenship is not put on trial for doing 
wrong. He is in court only to meet helpful men always on the looKout 
for those foreigners who will maKe good citizens if given the chance. 
The judge is your friend and will help you. The examiner who repre¬ 
sents the United States government in court is not there to trouble you 
or trap you with questions you do not understand that you may feel 
foolish and be laughed at. He will be polite to you and will do you a 
favor if he can. He comes from the Bureau of Naturalization at Wash¬ 
ington, and these men are always glad to give a welcome to those 
who are worthy and are doing the best they can to become citizens. 
Of course it is the duty of the judge and examiner to be as watchful 
to Keep out the unfit as to grant citizenship to those ready and worthy. 


TAKING OUT THE FIRST PAPER 


9 


They want to be Kind and they must be just. Do not be afraid of them. 
I have seen several courts of naturalization in session. I have never 
seen a man turned away from the gates of American citizenship that 
I thought deserved to enter, I do not believe any man who was re¬ 
fused citizenship could say he was not given every opportunity to 
maKe good. 

In these years of your naturalization do not pay money to men who 
would taKe your money for showing you a way to “stand in” with any¬ 
body in authority or beat the government. The men in the office of 
the ClerK of the District Court will tell you all you need to Know and 
will help you at every step. Unless you have to pay money to them 
for lost papers or unless your witnesses cost you money, the expense 
of your naturalization should not be more than the dollar paid when 
you taKe out your first paper and the fee of $4.00 you pay when you 
maKe your petition for naturalization. Do not try to do anything differ¬ 
ent from the plain course laid down in the naturalization laws. These 
laws are filled with warnings of fines and imprisonment for those who 
would worK fraud in these matters. Do not try to defeat the plain 
purpose of these laws —an honest transfer of American citizenship to 
worthy aliens who wish to maKe the stars and stripes their flag. Those 
who breaK government laws are mighty sure to learn that it is no joKe 
to fool with Uncle Sam. He is not much of a joKer. 


A CHAT WITH EMIL SCHULTZ ABOUT 

TAKING OUT THE FIRST PAPER. 

You have been in this country a long time, Mr. Schultz, and have 
never tried to become a citizen. Now you have made up your mind 
that you want to become an American in record as well as in fact. 
This is something, I thinK, you should have done long ago. but we will 
forget that now that you have started right. At some future time the 
government will see that every alien has a chance to learn all about 
America and then will insist that he either taKe out citizenship papers 
within a reasonable time or else go bacK to the land whence he came. 

To become naturalized the first thing you should do is to go to the 
office of the ClerK of the District Court in the court house at Davenport 
and tell him of your wish to maKe a declaration of intention, or as we 
usually say, to taKe out your first paper. You cannot do this by writing 
to the ClerK or by sending a friend. You must go yourself. You do not 
need any witnesses for this visit. A man does not need to speaK Eng¬ 
lish. In some cities of the United States aliens are naturalized in the 
Federal Court. The Federal Court which meets in Davenport does not 
do this worK but leaves the granting of citizenship to the local state 
court, our District Court, whose ClerK has an office in the court house. 

On your first visit to the ClerK of the District Court you can asK 
for a blanK called, “ Facts for Declaration of Intention.” This you can 
taKe home and fill out at your leisure, or you can have a friend do it 
for you. 


10 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


After a reasonable time you should taKe this blanK, now carefully 
filled, to the ClerK’s office. As before, you'need no witnesses. You 
pay the ClerK his fee of $1.00 and he will write out from the blanK 
you have filled your first paper and hand it to you. LooK it over 
carefully for mistaKes before you leave the office. If you find a mis- 
taKe, however small, asK the ClerK to correct it. Be sure that you have 
told the truth in all matters asKed you. Any misstatement will maKe 
your paper of no account and may get you into trouble, beside. Be 


FACTS FOR DECLARATION OF INTENTION 


V. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Service 


NOTE.—A copy of this form should be furnished by the clerk of the court to each 
applicant for a declaration of intention, so that he can at his leisure fill in the 
answers to the questions. After being filled out the form is to be returned to 
the clerk, to be used by him in properly filling out the declaration. If the 
applicant landed on or after June 29, 1906, his declaration should not be filed 
until the name of the vessel is definitely given (or the name of the railroad and 
border port in the United States through which the alien entered), as well as 
the date of arrival. 

TO THE APPLICANT.—The fee of one dollar must be paid to the clerk of the 
court before he commences to fill out the declaration of intention. No fee is 
chargeable for this blank. 

My name is . 

(Alien should state here his true, original, and correct name in fuil.). 

Age : .years. Also known as.. 

(Give age at last birthday.) (If alien has used any 


other name in this country, that name should be shown on line immediately above.) 

Occupation; . 

Color: . Complexion : . 

Height; .. feet . inches. Weight: . pounds. 

Color of hair: . Color of eyes: . 

Other visible distinctive marks: .' 

, (If no visible distinctive marks, so state.). 

Where born; .. .. 

^ (City or town.) .(Country.). 

Date of birth :.. 

„ ^ (Month.) (Day.).. .(Year.) 

Present residence : ., .. 

(Number and street.) (City or town.')' ’ "’('st’ate."Terri’tory 

■ j. ^ ^ or District.) 

Emigrated from : .. 

(Place where alien got on ship or train to come to the United 'states.) ' ' (c'o'u'nVrv ) 
Name of vessel: . 

(If the alien arrived otherwise than by vessel, the'character of * convey-, 


ance or name of transportation company should be given.)' 
Last place of foreign residence:. 


(City or town.) 

*I am.married; the name of my wife is. 

*she was born at.and now resides at 

I am now a subject of and intend to renounce allegiance to 


(Country.) 

(Write name andi title of sovereign and country of 


which now a subject; or if citizen of a Republic, write'na'rne'of Republic'onl'v') 
Port of arrival: . 


(City or town.) 
Date of arrival in United States: . 


(State or Territory.) 


•NOTE TO. CLERK OP COURT-Two line™ nVicated by the'’*7ontain intorSI'tion 

which IS provided for by blanks on the latest declaration of intention form; 
until such time as you may be supplied with forms containing* these blank 
inforJ^^tion called for herein should be inserted immediately above 
the twelfth line, which begins, ‘It is my bona tied intention,” etc., as requested 
in circular letter of January 5, 1916. 





































TAKING OUT THE FIRST PAPER 


11 


sure that the name you have g'iven the ClerK is your full and true 
old-country name. You must give this one, true, old-country name all 
through the naturalization proceedings. Do not give any shortened 
form of your real name or some new name that your friends in Amer¬ 
ica have told you to taKe. If you are Known by any name beside your 
true name, that second name must be given to the ClerK also. SticK to 
your full and true old-country name until the time comes for taKing 
out your second paper. Just before you are given full citizenship you 
will have a chance to change your name, if you have a reason, by 
maKing a request of the court. 

If you will study the reprint of the blanK, “ Facts for Declaration of 
Intention,” printed in your civics class text-booK, before you go to the 
court house to looK after the matter, and will write down the answers 
you will be called on to maKe, on a piece of paper, and taKe it with 
you on your first visit to the office of the ClerK of the District Court, 
you may be able to taKe this important step toward citizenship by 
going only once to the court house. But be sure and have your an¬ 
swers tell the truth. If you tell lies, you will start something you can’t 
finish. 

When you have given the clerK a chance to maKe all corrections 
of mistaKes and are sure that you are covering up nothing that the 
government should Know, taKe your first paper home with you and try 
and Keep it safe. You will need it to get your second paper. This 
first paper is good in any naturalization court in any state. You may 
need it many times. If you should die or become insane, your wife 
and children might need it. 

You must use this first paper to get your second paper not less 
than two years and not more than seven years from the date it was 
written. If you wait longer than seven years, your first paper will not 
be any good. You will have to taKe out another one and your com¬ 
ing into citizenship will be set bacK another two years. 

If you lose your first paper, you can get a copy of it, but it will taKe 
a little time and some money. You will go again to the ClerK of the 
District Court in the court house and write down the fact of loss, 
with the time and place as near as you can, and to the truth of this 
statement you must maKe oath. Your request is sent to Washington 
If after looKing into your claim of loss, everything seems all right, the 
Bureau of Naturalization will write the ClerK in Davenport to maKe a 
copy of the lost paper for you. The ClerK will write you a letter when 
your copy is ready. If you should move from Scott county, Mr. Schultz, 
and afterward [should find that you have lost your first paper, you 
should go to the ClerK of the nearest naturalization court and have 
him fill in the proper blanK which will bring as soon as possible the 
copy you want through Washington and Davenport. This service 
will naturally cost you a little money but not much. 

Many facts must be given to the Cl©rK to secure your first paper, 
Mr. Schultz. You must tell your full name and address, your age and 
your occupation You must tell the color of your hair and eyes, your 
height"^ and weight. The date and place of your birth are written 
down, the last foreign place where you lived, the name of the port 


12 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


whence you sailed and the port of arrival. The name of the ship on 
which you came to the United States, the date you arrived and the 
place where you now live are all entered. These thing's all maKe 
certain who you are. If an immigrant did not arrive by ship but 
crossed the border from Canada or Mexico, the questions are changed 
to bring out these facts. 

There are certain border cities where it is lawful for an immigrant 
to enter the United States. The list.- In Maine—Eastport, Calais, Van- 
ceboro, Fort Kent, Fort Fairfield, VanBuren, Houlton, MadawasKa and 
Lowellton; in New Hampshire—Beecher’s Fallsj in Vermont-rrisland Pond, 
Newport, Richford, St. Alban’s, Swanton and Alburg; in New YorK— 
Rouse’s point, Malone, Fort Covington, Nyando, Ogdensburg, Morris¬ 
town, Clayton, Cape Vincent, Charlotte, Olcott, Lewiston, Niagara Falls 
and Buffalo; in Ohio—Cleveland and Toledo; in Michigan—Detroit, St. 
Clair, Huron and Sault Ste. Marie; in Illinois—Chicago; in Minnesota— 
Duluth, Ranier, Noyes, Warroad, Beaudette and International Falls; in 
North DaKota—Hannah, Pembina, Neche, Walhalla, Portal and St. John; 
in Montana—Sweet Grass and Gateway; in Idaho—Porthill and East- 
port; in Washington—Marcus, Oroville, Sumas and Blaine; in Texas— 
Brownsville, Hidalgo, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio and El Paso; in Ari¬ 
zona—Douglas, Naco and Nogales; in California—Andrade, Calexico, 
Tia Juana and Campo. 

In taKing out your first paper, Mr. Schultz, you must swear that 
you wish to breaK all ties of duty to any foreign government and that 
you are neither an anarchist nor polygamist. Better looK after your first 
paper right away. You might have been a citizen long ago. 

Before we separate for the day is there anything left over from the 
last lesson that we should clear up? The Indians and their citizenship? 
You are right, Mr. Petersen. Since the last chat I have been looking in¬ 
to the status of the first Americans. Perhaps some of you know that 
our government set aside large tracts of public lands for the homes of 
the different tribes of Indians and these lands were owned by the tribes 
rather than by individuals. Lately many Indians have been given or 
allotted shares of these tribal lands for individual ownership, and citi¬ 
zenship has been given to such Indians as well as others who seem to 
be ready to take their share in the responsibilities of citizenship. A 
poster issued by the government in connection with the registry June 
5,1918, of young men for conscription for service in the great war gives 
the situation definitely: “ An Indian is a citizen if (1) he or his father or 
mother, prior or before he attained the age of 21, was allotted prior to 
May 8,1906; (2) if he was allotted subsequent to May 8,1906, and re¬ 
ceived a patent in fee to his land; (3) if he was residing in the old Ind¬ 
ian Territory on March 3,1901; (4) if he lives separate and apart from 
his tribe and has adopted the habits of civilized life. ” The word “ al¬ 
lotted” covers the transfer to him by the government of his share of 
the land owned by his tribe. 

Anything farther? So there is one thing more. Mr. Stepanek, our 
bachelor friend in the third row, says he has no widow and hopes he 
pever will have, but that he is interested in widows and wants to know 
what happens to the citizenship of a married woman, formerly an alien. 


THE NEW NATURALIZATION LAW 


13 


who gained American citizenship by marrying an American citizen, if 
her husband dies or she is divorced from him. Such a women Keeps 
her American citizenship while she “ stands alone, ” as our immigrant 
friends say, until she wants to change it and become the citizen of her 
own country again or of any foreign country. Good bye till next time. 


A HURRY-UP CHAT WITH THE CLASS OF CANDIDATES FOR CITIZENSHIP ON 

THE NEW NATURALIZATION LAW. 

Your teacher has an extra heavy load of news for you this weeK. 
He has been worKing his mind overtime trying to understand the new 
law which has just been passed by Congress which greatly changes 
methods of naturalization. It is more than probable that I will make 
some mistakes in telling you what the law provides. Law is hard to 
understand, but I have done my best to line up the English of the 
thing and we will all hope for the best. This law which was approved 
May 9, 1918, has new provisions and also revises older laws. The de¬ 
tails may be tiresome to some of you, but I hope that among such a 
number each point may strike someone as having interest for himself 
or his friends. The principal features of the law have been made de¬ 
sirable by the great war in which the United States is now engaged. 

Under the new law any alien serving in the military or naval forces 
of the United States during the present war may file his petition for 
naturalization, or, as we commonly say, may take out his second paper, 
without taking out his first paper, and without being required to fur¬ 
nish proof of the customary five years of residence. 

Another provision for enlisted aliens that does not have especial 
reference to the present war takes the place of previous laws of the 
same sort. Any alien, aged 21 or older, who has been enlisted in the 
Armies of the United States, either Regular or Volunteer Forces, or the 
National Army, the National Guard, or Naval Militia of any state, terri¬ 
tory or the District of Columbia, or in the State Militia in Federal Service, 
or in the United States Coast Guard, or who has served for three years 
on board of any merchant or fishing vessel of the United States of 
more than 20 tons burden, and while still in the service of the United 
States on re-enlistment or reappointment, or within six months after an 
honorable discharge or separation therefrom, or while on furlough to 
the Army Reserve or Regular Army Reserve after honorable service, 
may on presentation of his first paper, petition for his second paper 
without giving proof of the usuaTy required five years of residence in 
the United States. The same privilege is also given any Porto Rican 
not a citizen, of the same age, of like enlistment and service. 

The obligation to prove five years' residence in the United States is 
also lifted for any native-born Filipino, 21 years and older, who hav¬ 
ing been enlisted in the United States Navy or Marine Corps or the 
Naval Auxiliary service and has served three years before being hon¬ 
orably discharged therefrom or who has received an ordinary dis¬ 
charge with recommendation for re-enlistment, if the representative 


14 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


















































































































































THE NEW NATURALIZATION LAW 


15 


of the Bureau of Naturalization shall find that such residence cannot 
be established. 

Another division of the new law has to do with the alien declarant 
who has served in the United States Army or Navy or the Philippine 
constabulary and has been honorably discharged therefrom and has 
been accepted for service in either the Army or Navy on condition 
that he become a citizen of the United States. The gaining of citizen¬ 
ship is made easier for such a man by allowing him to petition for nat¬ 
uralization on proof furnished by two witnesses, citizens of the United 
States, of continued residence within.the United States for three 
years immediately preceding his petition. In these cases only resi¬ 
dence in the Philippine Islands and the Panama Canal zone by aliens 
may be considered residence within the United States, and the place 
of such military service shall be construed as the place of residence 
required to be established for purposes of naturalization. 

Under the law of 1906 petition for naturalization must be filed in 
the court having jurisdiction over the applicant. This requirement is 
waived by the new law for all of the men of whom we have been talK- 
ing. These favored applicants for citizenship may appear in the most 
convenient court with two witnesses and there pass the preliminary 
examination. 

Naturalization is made very easy for those having honorable dis¬ 
charge papers from United States military or naval sevice and for 
those having certificate of service showing good conduct signed by a 
duly authorized officer or by the masters of vessels upon which appli¬ 
cants for citizenship have served. These discharge papers and cer¬ 
tificates are to serve as proof of both residence and moral character. 
Two witnesses are needed to establish the identity of the petitioner. 

In becoming naturalized aliens actually, in the military or naval 
service of the United States need not file the 'certificate of arrival with 
the petition for naturalization. They pay no fees to the ClerK of the 
Federal Court. Any alien who was in the military service of the 
United States May 9, 1918, and who may not be within the jurisdiction 
of any court, competent to naturalize may file his petition for second 
paper without personally appearing before the Clerk of the Court and 
without taking the oath of allegiance to this country in open court. 
The term of residence within the United States may be established by 
two witnesses and the term of military service shall be established by 
two other v/itnesses. 

Every alien seaman who has declared his intention and has served 
three years upon a merchant or fishing vessel of this country shall be 
deemed an American citizen for the purpose of serving on such ves¬ 
sel, and shall be protected in his rights of citizenship. 

Another section of the law has most beautiful news for you f:;lks. 
It tells of government preparation of books and bulletins for candidates 
for citizenship, and that description fits you people very well. 

A further provision of the new law welcomes back to American 
citizenship those who took an oath of allegiance to any foreign power 
at war with a country with which the United States is now at war. 
Many American citizens were fighting in the armies of England, t ranee 


16 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


and Italy against the central European powers previous to the time 
when the United States entered the war, and some are still with the 
colors of the allies. In entering the armies of these other nations 
these men lost their allegiance to this country. To regain American 
citizenship it is only necessary under this law of 1918 for these men 
to taKe an oath of allegiance to the United States in any court compe¬ 
tent to naturalize or before any United States consul abroad. 

The securing of American citizenship is made easy by another 
section of the new law for “ any person who is serving in the military 
or naval forces of the United States at the termination of the existing 
war, '* and for “ any person who before the termination of the existing 
war may have been honorably discharged from the military or naval 
services of the United States on account of disability incurred in the 
line of duty.” For such persons there is no requirement of proving 
residence in either state or nation. They are not required to prove 
good character, either, their certificate of honorable discharge being 
sufficient to cover this point. There must be, however, two witnesses 
in court to establish the fact that the applicant is the individual named 
in the discharge papers. 

One notable point of this new law is the widening of the door of 
entry to citizenship to admit representatives of a race new in Ameri¬ 
can citizenship. The red race is now maKing good its claim to recog¬ 
nition through native birth and other grounds. Citizenship has been 
given people of the white and blacK races only through naturalization 
for many years. This law opens the way for the first representatives 
of the brown race to enter citizenship, also through naturalization. You 
will remember that I told you a few minutes ago that any native-born 
Filipino may become an American citizen through serving in the 
United States Navy or in the Marine Corps or in the Naval Auxiliary 
service. But the door is only ajar to the brown race and only our Ma¬ 
layan brother of the Philippines can join the American family circle 
at this time. 

The framers of this new law had the defender of our country al¬ 
ways in mind and in looKing around for others who had not had the 
way to citizenship smoothed for them they found a class of aliens not 
provided for by previous portions of the law. These are aliens who 
prior to January 1,1900, served in the armies of the United States and 
were honorably discharged therefrom. These men may be admitted 
to citizenship upon petition without taKing out first papers. Any such 
discharged soldier is not required to prove more than one year’s resi¬ 
dence in the United States previous to his application” to become a 
citizen, and the court admitting such alien, shall in addition to such 
proof of residence and good moral character as is now provided by 
law, be satisfied with competent proof of such person’s having been 
honorably discharged from the service of the United States. 

The new law gives the President authority to relieve the disabili¬ 
ties of any alien enemy of proved loyalty who cannot gain citizen¬ 
ship through the means outlined above. The President may free such 
a man from the discomforts of being an alien enemy by giving him 
permission to petition for naturalization. 


mt NEW NATURALIZATION LAW 


17 


The new law has a provision much liKe one formerly in force. It 
CDncerns people who thought that they were citizens and later find 
that they are not and never have been. The new law says that any 
person, not an enemy alien, who lived uninterruptedly in the United 
States during the period of five years next preceding July 1, 1914, and 
was on that date qualified to become a citizen of the; United States, ex¬ 
cept that he had not taken out his first paper, and who during that five 
years, or before that period of five years, exercised erroneously the 
rights and performed the duties of an American citizen in good faith 
because he was mistaken or v/as poorly informed as to his standing as 
a citizen, may petition for a second paper without taking out the first 
paper, and upon proof that he has acted as a citizen of the United 
States may be admitted as a real citizen of the United States upon 
complying in all other respects with the requirements of the natu¬ 
ralization law. 

In explaining this portion of the law naturalization officials hold that 
enemy aliens may also take advantage of a similar cordial clause in an 
earlier law. They write, “Their right having existed prior to the exist¬ 
ence of a state of war with the two sovereignties has not been denied 
by the amendatory legislation contained in the Act of May 9, 1918.” 

I 

A citizenship law passed many years ago provided .that no alien 
enemy might be naturalized during the time that the country to which 
he owed allegiance was at war with the United States. The law just 
passed, bearing the date. May 9, 1918, has changed this in some in¬ 
stances. Congress after due deliberation has made seme exceptions 
and President Wilson has signed his approval. The general rule for 
alien enemies is stated in this way,—“ No alien who is a native, citi¬ 
zen, subject or denizen of any country. State or sovereignty with 
which the United States is at war shall be admitted to become a citi¬ 
zen of the United States.” And now comes the exception that will 
bring joy to a number of you who wish to become Americans in rec¬ 
ord as well as in fact, but have been compelled to wait outside the 
closed gate since merica entered the great war. This gate is now 
swinging open just wide enough to admit a good number of you, and 
I am glad that this great, good fortune has come to you. All alien en¬ 
emies who are natives of Germany who made declaration of intention 
not less than two years before April 6, 1917, and not more than seven 
years before that date—Wait a minute. Let’s put it another way—all 
German enemy aliens who took out their first papers between April 6, 
1910, and April 6, 1915 or were entitled to become citizens without tak¬ 
ing out first papers April 6, 1917, or if their petitions for naturalization 
were then pending, and they were otherwise entitled to admission, may 
be admitted to citizenship notwithstanding that hostile acts of their 
native land have given them the unhappy condition of alien enemies. 
A great opportunity is within your reach. 

The paragraph just ended took up the chance of the alien enemy 
of German birth. The privilege of gaining citizenship is also extended 
to natives of Austro-Hungary who had filed their declarations of inten¬ 
tion between the dates December 7,1910 and December 7,1915, or 


18 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


who were entitled to become citizens without taKing' out first papers 
December 7,1917, and also to those whose petitions of naturalization 
were pending' on that date. 

To secure naturalization under this clause of the new law the alien 
enemy must see that the ClerK of the Court has opportunity to ^ive 
90 days’ notice to the authorities at Washington, that the Bureau of 
Naturalization may be represented in open court when the petition for 
naturalization shall come up for final hearing. The representative of the 
government will have full authority to postpone hearings on such pe¬ 
tition from time to time as he may deem best. It is also plainly stated 
in the law that this law shall not interfere with dealing with an alien 
enemy according to law previous to the time of his actual naturaliza¬ 
tion. In fact it is well for all naturalized citizens to be very careful as 
to their deeds and conversation at all times and especially during the 
great war now in progress. The papers printed the other evening a 
ruling of the Attorney General of the United States that naturalized 
citizens of proved disloyalty may have their citizenship papers can¬ 
celled, may be interned until the end of the present war, and then sent 
bacK across the oceah to face an uncertain welcome. 

Owing to a recent decision of the Supreme Court of the United 
States concerning the length of time that first papers issued before a 
date in 1906 were good there has been some uneasiness as to the va¬ 
lidity of certificates of naturalization issued following the use of such 
first papers. All of this uncertainty is swept away by the new law 
which expressly states that all certificates of naturalization granted 
up to December 31, 1918, upon petitions for naturalization filed prior 
to January 31, 1918, upon declarations of intention filed prior lo Sep¬ 
tember 2 7, 1906, are valid so far as the declaration of intention is con¬ 
cerned. 

The Clerk of the District Court tells me that he has a letter from the 
Naturalization Bureau at Washington in which there is a paragraph 
that he thinks will bring good news to some of you although he does 
not know exactly what is meant. No details are given. The letter 
says that when the declaration of intention was less than two years 
old at the commencement of the war with either sovereignty—April 6, 
1917, for Germany and December, 7, 1917, for Austria—or in cases 
where the Declaration of Intention was taken out after the existence 
of war, applications for naturalization may be made to the Attorney 
General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. If your first paper 
has a date that corresponds with the conditions named, and you can¬ 
not secure citizenship by ordinary means, I would advise you to ask 
the Clerk of the District Court to proceed in the matter for your relief. 

If you have no questions, I wish to square myself a little. In our 
first chat on “ Citizenship ” the statement was made that alien ene¬ 
mies could not become citizens during the duration of the war which 
made them alien enemies. The law of May 9,1918, passed since our 
first chat, has made exceptions to that general rule. In the chat on 
“Naturalization” you were told that only members of the white and 
black races might be naturalized. The new law admits representa¬ 
tives of the brown race for the first time in the nation’s history. In this 


THE DECLARANT 


19 


same chat an exception was noted to the requirement that a petitioner 
for first paper must prove five years of residence within the United 
States. The new law lists several classes of aliens who are excused 
from proving the usual five years. 

Now if you people can remember all that I have told you today, 
you can go into business as naturalization lawyers without further de¬ 
lay. If there is nothing further, most patiant Perhaps Americans, we 
will separate. 


A FRIENDLY CHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH 

THE DECLARANT. 


Today I want to chat especially with one of the men who has 
made declaration of his intention to become an American citizen, or has 
taKen out his first paper, as we commonly say. He is now a declarant 
and has more rights in some states than other aliens who have not ta- 
Ren this step. This declarant is our GreeR classmate Bill BaKer, or as 
he was Known in Crete, Vasilius BeKerius. If he had time, he could 
tell us of the Greek immigrant’s belief that Americans do not like the 
long names most Greeks bring with them and how, for this reason, any 
man named Constantines becomes Gus and Demetrros turns into Jim 
and Pagniotes into Pete, and he could tell us of all the chopping that 
makes common American names of musical Greek ones. Our friend 
Vasilius has taken an oath that he wants to become an American citi¬ 
zen. I think he means it. He loves liberty and he loves America. 
But I want to tell him—and it is meant for all of you—that unless you 
get ready for the next step in naturalization with the best speed you 
can, it will look as if you have seme selfish reason for gaining a foot¬ 
hold in this country and are not really filled with a desire to gain the 
proud position of an American citizen. 

This country expects that the time between the declaration of in¬ 
tention and the court hearing shall be used by the declarant in be¬ 
coming ready and fit for citizenship. He should learn of America, some¬ 
thing of its history and geography, something of its lines of industry — 
not a great deal, but he should know enough of this country to be 
deemed worthy of becoming a part of it. He ought to learn of the 
forms of democratic government and study the Constitution that he 
may get a fair idea of the principles of the great foundation law to 
which he is supposed to show attachment. If he has not a good 
knowledge of the English language, he should get it. 

Mr. Bekerius, you have assured me that you have been learning 
how the nation is governed, also the State of Iowa and the city of 
Davenport. You are trying to get a good knowledge of the Scott 
county officials and what they do and of the duties of the township 
officers and the duties of the school board. It is a hard matter to learn 
so many things, and the whole plan of government in America may 
seem to you to be pretty badly mixed up, but it is a good system for 


20 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICAN'S 


people who govern themselves and anyone who wants to be any 
Kind of an Amarican citizen ought to want to be a good one and a 
good citizen Knows these things. All of this Knowledge will be needed 
when you face th'e examiner in court, and you can learn it much eas¬ 
ier if you Keep on coming to such a class as this and learn it in com¬ 
pany with other men and with the help of a teacher. Here we talK 
things over and you find out whether you have got a wrong idea from 
a booK. It is hard to study it out all alone. 

There is one thing each of you men can do that will help this 
country and help your friends—-talK to other men from your old home¬ 
land beyond the ocean about American citizenship. Find if they mean 
to stay in this country. Urge such men to become citizens and tell 
them how. Tell them to go to night school and learn English. They 
will listen to you. 

Some time before the two years is up and the date has come when 
you can file your petition for citizenship, Mr. BeKerius, be sure that 
everything is ready. If your first paper is lost, get a copy made. You 
came to America after June 29, 1906, so that you will need to get 
from the ClerK a blanK, “Request for Certificate of Arrival,” To this 
blanK is attached a list of questions, the same list that a man who 
came before June 29, 1906, fills when he asKs for naturalization. 
When all the lines are written in, this blanK is sent to the Commis¬ 
sioner at Washington. When the matter has been gone over there, 
you will receive notice that the certificate has been sent to the Cl.rK. 
The ClerK will also write you when he has the certificate and state- 


Form 2226 

REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL 
For Use of i\liens Arriving After June 29, 1906 




U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Sei'vice 


Notice to the Clerk of the Court. 

form is to be used only where an alien arrived in this country after June 29, 

When an alien desires to petition for naturalization, this form shoiild be e-iven to 
him before he is permitted to file his petition, and the execution of the petition for 
naturalization should not be commenced until the certificate of arrival is received 
by the clerk of the court. The alien should be directed to complete the letter below 
and carefully fill in all the blanks in this form, as the information is necessary to 
obtain the certificate of arrival, and will aid the clerk of the court in filing- the neti- 
tion for naturalization. The alien should tlien mail this form to the Commissioner 
of Naturalization, Department of Labor, Washington, D. C. 

That official will at once take steps to obtain and forward to the clerk of court 
certificate of arrival required by section 4 of the act of June 29. 1906 to be 
attached t 9 and made a part of the petition at the time of its filing. The statement 
of facts will also be forwarded to the clerk of the court. Notice will also be given 
to the alien that the certificate has been sent to the clerk of the court named by him. 






THE DECLARANT 


21 


Commissioner of Naturalization, 

U. S. Department of Labor, 

Washington, D. C. 

Sir: I came to this country after June 29, 1906. Please obtain a certificate 
showing my arrival in the United States and forward it to the Clerk of the. 


(Give on these two lines title of court and city or town, and county and State where 


court is located in which the petition will be filed.) 

for filing as the law requires, with the petition for naturalization which I intend to 
file in that court. 

In the accompanying statement I have given the date I landed and the place of 
my arrival and shown the facts which will go in my petition for naturalization when 
it is filed. 

Respectfully, 


(Sign name in full.) 


(Give address here.) 

NOTE TO THE APPLICANT FOR NATURALIZATION: Please send your 
declaration of intention to the Bureau of Naturalization, with this application. It 
will he filed with the clerk of the court for you at the time the certificate of your 
arrival is sent to him. 

Only Aliens who entered the United States through Canada or Mexico 
should answer the questions on this page, and they should he an¬ 
swered in addition to the other questions on the remaining pages. 

Refer to your passport, ship’s card, and baggage labels, if you have any, to help 
you answer these questions. Mail your passport or ship’s card to the Bureau of 
Naturalization with this form and it will be returned after it has been examined. 

1. My full name as given at time of sailing from Europe was. 


2. My age as given at time of sailing from Europe was. 

3. I sailed on the vessel. 

(Give name. If you can not remember name of vessel, give the line.) 

4. The following are the names of the members of my family who came with me 

and other passengers on the vessel" on which I sailed. 


5. 


6 . 


7. 


I arrived at seaport of. 

on.. .. 

(Month.) (Day.) 


, in Canada, 
Mexico, 


(Year.) 


My destination in Canada was. 

Mexico 

(If alien informed immigration authorities at port 
of embarkation and at port of arrival in Canada 
or Mexico that he had no intention of remaining 
in that country, please so state.) 


I was going to join 


(Here give name of person and address.) 


8. I was.examined for admission into the United States at. 

(if not examined, write “not” in blank space.) 

(if you were examined on a train, state this fact also.) 

9. My full name as given when examined for admission into the United States was 


10. I entered the United States on 
at. 


(Month.) (Day.) 

((jive name of place at border of the United States.) 


(Year.) 































22 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


U. S. DEPARTMENT OF liABOR 
Naturalization Service 


FACTS FOR PETITION FOR NATCRALIZATION 


My name is. 


(Alien should state here his true, original, and correct name in full.) 


Also known as. 


(If alien has used any other name in this country, that name should 
be shown on line immediately above.) 

My place of residence is.. • • • • • .. 

(Number and name of street.) (City or town.) 


(State, Territory, or District.) 


2 . 

3. 


4. 


(County.) 

My present occupation is. . . .... 

I was born on the.day of.18. . ., at. 

(City or town.) 

.. and my last foreign address was 

(Country.) 


(Country.) 


(City or town.) 

I emigrated to the United States from. 

(Place where alien got on ship or train to 
come to the United States.) 

.. on or about the.day of.. 19... 

(Country.) 

and arrived at the port of.. .. on the. 

( Port of arrival.) ( State.) 

day of.. 19. . ., on the vessel., of the.Line, 

by first cabin.. second cabin.. steerage. 


(If the alien arrived otherwise than by vessel, the character of conveyance or 
name of transportation company should be given.) 

at which time my )ieight was.feet.inches; complexion.; 

color of hair,.; color of eyes.; occupation.; 

destined to.. . 

(City or town.) ; (State.) 

and accompanied by.; 

destined to. 

(Person or persons to whom destined.) 


(If the alien came under some other name than his own name, the name used 
on the steamship must be given here, or the record of arrival can not be found.) 


(If the alien arrived as a stowaway or deserting seasman, or in any other man¬ 
ner than as a passenger, please so state.) 

5. I declared m.y intention to become a citizen of the United States on the. 

day of.. 19..., at., in the. 

(Location of court.) 

.Court of. 

f>. I am.married. My wife’s name is. 

(Petitioner, if a widower,' should give 
the name of his wife when living, and 
state place of her birth, and fact of her 
death ; if not married, he should enter 
“not” in first sentence.) 

She was born in., .^ and now resides at 

(City or town.) (Country.) 

(Number and street.) ’ (City or town.).(Country ). 

I have.children, and the name , date and place of birth, and place of 

residence of each of said children is, as follows: 

. born. . . .day of.1.at.; resides at. 

.> horn. . . .day of., 1. . . ., at.; resides at. 

.born. . . .day of.. 1. . . ., at.; i*esides at. 







































































THE DECLARANT 


23 



. . day of. 

.... 1, . . 

., at.. 



. . day of. 

.... 1 . . . 

., at. 


,, born. . 

. .day of. 

.... U . . 

., at. 


., born. . 

. . day of. 

.... 1 ... 

., at. 



7. I now owe alles-iance to. 

(Name of soverign and country of which alien is now a subject.) 

8. I am able to speak the English language. 

9. I have resided continuously in the United States since the.day of 

State 

.19. . ., and in the Territory of.since the 

District 

.day of., 19. . . . 

10. I have.heretofore made petition for Uniteed States citizenship. 

(If petitioner has heretofore made application for citizenship, the facts 
requireil should be fully stated in the following blanks:) 

I previously petitioned for citizenship to the.Court, at 

(C^ity or town.) (State, Territory, or District.) 

on the.day of.1. . . ., which was denied for the following reason: 


The cause of such denial has since been cured or removed. 

Give names, occupations, and residence addresses of two witnesses, citizens of the 
United States, who have known you for at least five years, last past, as a resident 
of the State in which petition is made, who will make affidavit that you are a person 
of good moral character, that you are qualified in every way to be admitted a citi-^ 
zen of the United States, and who will appear with you before the clerk when peti¬ 
tion is filed and also be present at the hearing of the petition by the court. 

If you have resided in the State in which petition is made for at least one year 
last past, but less than five years, the two witnesses must verify the entire period of 
residence within said State, and the remaining portion of the five year’s residence 
in some other State must be shown at the hearing by the testimony of the same or 
other witnesses appearing in person, or by depositions taken under section 10 of the 
naturalization act of June 29, 1906. The required form for notice to take depositions 
may be obtain from the clerk of court when petition is filed. 


(Name.) * 

(Occupation.) 

(Residence.) 

(Name.) 

(Occupation.) 

(R.esidence.) 

Names of witnesses who will 
at the time of filing my petition 
of the hearing— 

be substituted by me if those appearing with me 
for naturalization are unable to appear at the time 

(Name.) 

(Occupation.) 

(Residence.) 

(Name.) 

(Occupation.) 

(Residence.) 


My Declaration of Intention to become a Citizen of the United States is sent with 
this application. 


merit of facts in his office ready for you to call with your witnesses 
to file your petition for naturalization. If you had reached this coun¬ 
try before June 29, 1906, Mr. BeKerius, you would not need the Cer¬ 
tificate of Arrival but would be expected to fill in the list of questions 
asXed in the blank,“ Facts for Petition for Naturalization.” 

Before you get word from the Clerk that the papers are here and 
ready for you to petition for naturalization, it will be well for you to 
look over your list of friends and acquaintances and select two who 
have known you all of the preceding year and have seen you pretty 
often during that time and can swear safely and readily that you have 
lived in Scott county for a year. If they can swear to a longer time, it 






































24 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


is better. If they can swear to the full five years of residence in this 
country required by naturalization law, that is the best of all. They 
must swear to the facts of your manner of life, what Kind of man you 
are, and if they believe you would maKe a good citizen. 

Mr. StepaneK, is there anything on yjur mind about widows this 
afternoon ? 

Mr. StepaneK. “ Sure I Know another one widow, not a funeral 
widow but a court house widow. She came from Galicia a married 
woman. Her man die and she marry an American. Then she is an 
American, too. Her American man run away and she marry two men 
more. Both aliens and both no good and she get divorce now for three 
times. What of a citizen is she now ? ” 

The Teacher. “I am inclined to thinK, Mr. StepaneK, that to a lady 
so busied with matrimonial experiments it would matter little whether 
she is a citizen of Galicia, Greenland or Timbuctoo. But I suppose 
that as long as she stays in this country and stays unmarried she will 
be an American, although she shows none of the American ability to 
picK a winner. ” 


A VERY SMALL CHAT ON PAPERS THAT ARE SUPPOSED NOT TO EXPLODE 
/ 

THERE WERE LONG LIVED FIRST PAPERS. 

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Evan Hughes came to me after class 
last weeK and wanted to Know more about first papers. He has a first 
paper that is more than seven years old. Some of the men tell him it 
is all right yet and others tell him it is no good. Mr. Hughes came from 
Wales some years ago. Soon after landing he tooK out his first paper. 
Since then he has been in many states looKing for a better job. He 
has never tried to taKe out his second paper, but now he tells me that 
he liKes Davenport, means to stay here and wants to petition for nat¬ 
uralization. 

The men who telf Mr. Hughes that his first paper is still good give 
as a reason that Congress passed a law that all first papers issued be¬ 
fore September 29, 1906, would never need to be renewed. This they 
have read in the handbooKs they have bought and studiad. And 
they are right so far as that law is concerned. There was such a aw 
passed, and almost everybody interested in naturalization has heard of 
that law and men whose first papers were dated before September 29, 
1906, feel that they have something that they may use whenever 
they want it, that such papers never expire, that they will always be 
good. Mr. Hughes has a paper of that sort. But Mr. Hughes will have 
to taKe out another first paper, and so will all men whose declarations 
of intention are more than seven years old, because this law that we 
all Know about has been set aside by the United States Supreme Court 
and now there is no exception to the rule that a first paper to be used 
io getting a second paper must be not less than two nor more than 
seven years old. 

In other respscts the law passed June 29,1906, is still in force, for 


FIRST PAPER IS NOT NEEDED 


25 


instance, men who landed in the United States before that date are not 
to furnish the “Certificate of Landing'” before maKing petition for citi¬ 
zenship. 

Some of you men over in the corner are having a whole lot of fun 
watching Mr. MaKis Pappas. He is sound asleep and no wonder. He 
worKs long hours and has a very hard job. We cannot blame him for 
sleeping through some of my long talKs on citizenship. It is hard for 
you men to study after a hard day’s worK or after a hard weeK’s worK. 
That you are willing to do it at all maKes me feel sure that you will 
maKe good Americans. 


A RATHER DRY CHAT WITH THE CLASS ON CASES WHERE THE 

FIRST PAPER IS NOT NEEDED. 


Anyone listening to the chats we have held on naturalization might 
gain the idea that United States citizenship could not be secured by 
an alien in any other way than by taKing out the first paper. That is 
the usual way, but there are exceptions. We have in our class more 
than one man who will not be required to- maKe a formal declaration 
of intention. You all Know your classmate, Mr. Andrew Campbell, who 
is older than most of you and is a greatly respected dweller in Daven¬ 
port. He has lived in this city more than 40 years and voted many 
times before he learned that his father who brought him from Scotland 
to America as a child had never been naturalized and was, therefore, 
never a citizen. Mr. Campbell supposed until recently that he became 
an American citizen through the naturalization of his father. Now he 
is glad that Congress pa'ssed a law in 1918 to help just such mistaKen 
men by maKing an easy road to citizenship for them. The law pro¬ 
vides that any person who meets the requirements for United States 
citizenship who shall have lived in this country fcr the five years next 
preceding July 1, 1914, and who through misinformation in regard to his 
citizenship or the rules of the naturalization law has acted under the 
impression that he was or could become a citizen of the United States 
and has in good faith exercised the rights of a citizen or an intended 
citizen of the United States because of such mistaken intention and be¬ 
lief, may petition for his second paper without a first paper. From this 
step of filing a petition for naturalization on through the other steps Mr. 
Campbell will gain his citizenship just as other aliens do. 

There are other people who take a short cut to citizenship and do 
not make declaration of intention as a first step. They are people who 
have helped the government. One of these favored ones is your class¬ 
mate, Aage Larsen. He was a soldier in the United'States army, his 
term of service expiring before January 1, 1900. The law gives such 
aliens who have received an honorable discharge the right to petition 
for citizenship without first papers and only requires that one year’s 
residance in this country be proved. Aage has not hurried matters 
but he expects to become a citizen at the next term of court. 


26 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


Aage tells me that his younger brother Nels, also an alien, has gone 
into the United States Navy to serve during the present war. He can 
be naturalized without taKing out a first paper. It would have been 
the same had Nels joined any branch of the United States Army. 

Former American citizens who may have lost their citizenship in 
joining the armies of countries fighting against the countries with which 
we are now at war regain citizenship without either first or second pa¬ 
pers. These brave fellows simply taKe an oath of allegiance and are 
again Americans. 

Anything you have on your minds today, gentlemen? 

Mr. Christiansen. “ I have a puzzle for the men to guess. A man 
and his son live near me. They were both born in the same town in 
Europe. One has his citizenship papers. The other has his petition 
hung up because he is an alien enemy. ” ‘ 

Mr. Perrault. “ That is an easy one for me because we have the 
same thing at my house. We are Alsatians. My father is French. I 
was born after the Franco-Prussian war. I filed papers as a German.” 

Mr. Christiansen. “ It’s about the same thing. My neighbors are 
from Lorraine.” 

The Teacher. ” These younger petitioners will find if they visit the 
court house that their applications are no longer on the high hooR but 
lie in easy reach.” 

THE CLASS OF CANDIDATES FOR CITIZENSHIP HAS A SURPRISE. 

“WITHIN THE UNITED STATES FIVE YEARS” 


In our talKs on naturalization we have spoKen of the required stay 
in the United States before an immigrant may gain citizenship. The law 
says that the Court must be satisfied that the petitioner has “ resided 
continuously within the United States five years at least. ” The law 
also maKes some exceptions. It is pretty dry stuff for the greater part, 
but I promise a surprise to those who thinK that all aliens who have 
been in this country five years may hope to become citizens. One 
unoffending class of men is barred. 

The usual five years’ stay is shortened for many men who serve 
our country. Any alien in military or naval service in the present war 
is excused from proving five years’ residence. The same privilege is 
given any alien, 21 years and older, who has enlisted or may enlist in 
the Armies of the United States, or the National Militia of any state or 
territory or the District of Columbia or any branch of the United States 
Navy. And also to any alien or Porto Rican, not a citizen, for three 
years on a government vessel or merchant ship or fishing craft of the 
United States. And also to any native-born Filipino, a declarant, hon¬ 
orably discharged after three years’ service in the United States Navy 
or Marine Corps or the Naval Auxiliary Service. 

An alien declarant holding honorable discharge from the United 
States Army or Navy or the Philippine Constabulary who has been 
accepted in either the military or naval service of the United States on 


WITHIN THE UNITED STATES FIVE YEARS ” 


27 


condition that he becomes a citizen, need only prove three years, and 
time spent in the Philippine Islands or the Panama Canal Zone is 
counted in on* the three years. An alien, honorably discharg'ed after 
service prior to January 1, 1900, need prove only one year’s residence. 
Anyone serving in the present war need prove no length of residence. 

The protection accorded citizens of the United States is given to 
any alien seaman serving on an American ship after he has made his 
declaration of intention. After three years’ service such a declarant is 
considered to have earned full citizenship. 

The quickest way to gain citizenship is nothing to have wished on 
you. It is to join the army and have a wing taken off while defending 
your country. Any alien soldier honorably discharged for disability 
in the line of duty is quickly made a citizen and without proving any 
residence. That sort of thing is a chance of war to be nobly borne If it 
happens, but it is nothing to hunt around for. 

Now as to that surprise. Mr. Patrick Purcell and I came in together 
and he told me he was almost ready for citizenship. He is going to 
arrange now for the depositions of his witnesses at Des Moines where 
he stayed four years before he came to Davenport. He has been 
here one year.® That makes the term the government stipulates, 
“ Within the United States Five Years.” I will let him tell his story. 

Mr. Purcell. “ There is no story at all, that I know of. I came to 
this country from Belfast and was trained in the linen business. Find¬ 
ing a good opening at Des Moines in a department store I took out my 
first paper and stayed there four years. The way opened to a broker¬ 
age in the same line at Davenport, something that promised well and 
I came here and have prospered. My two witnesses in this city are 
ready to prove the past year’s stay. Now I will arrange for deposi¬ 
tions to cover the four years in Des Moines. That is an easy matter.” 

The Teacher. “ It is easy enough, doubtless, but you might as well 
save yourself the trouble and expense. You would not be allowed to 
prove your five years in that way. In fact you cannot be naturalized 
for four more years and to gain citizenship in that time you will have 
to stay in Davenport or move out of the state. ” 

Mr. Purcell. ” You surely cannot mean it. I want to be an Ameri¬ 
can. My moral record is straight as a string. I have studied American 
government and am ready to pass the examination. ’ 

The Teacher. “Your only failure has been a neglect to move 
across state lines when you changed your place of stay. Had you 
gone to Omaha or Chicago from Des Moines you would be ready for 
citizenship.” 

Mr. Purcell. “What have state lines to do with national citizen¬ 
ship? I am not asking to be made a citizen of any state but of the 
United States.” 

The Teacher. “I cannot answer your questions, neither can I ex¬ 
plain the law. I am sorry to tell you that your longing to be an Amer¬ 
ican citizen must suffer disappointment. To be naturalized in four years 
from this time you must either stay in Davenport or move to some 
town in another state where you would be willing to stay four years- 


28 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


Then you can petition for citizenship, but you must remember that in 
four years your first paper will have expired and you will have to 
get another in a year or so. Better stay with us, Mr. Purcell.” 

Mr.Purcell. “I’m willing. Davenport looKs good tome. But I’m 
all broKen up over this shut-out.” 

The Teacher. “I will read you something one of the naturalization 
officials wrote me some time ago of a similar case: ‘ The courts, includ¬ 
ing Federal and Circuit Courts of Appeals have held repeatedly that 
a petitioner must establish his entire state residence by the witnesees 
who sign his application. He can have but two witnesses and they 
must have personal Knowledge of his residence for the entire time 
that he has resided within the state.’ Another official writes along the 
same line: ' Where a candidate has lived for five years in Iowa, but at 
different points, it is incumbent upon him, under the present status of 
the law, to produce two competent and credible witnesses, citizens of 
the United States, individually possessing personal knowledge of his 
residence and character for the whole of the five years in question. 
This, of course, is a physical impossibility where a candidate has lived 
at widely separated points. ’ ” 

Mr. Purcell. “ Why didn’t somebody tell me about this when I got 
off the boat at Ellis Island ? I would have jumped a state line every 
time I saw one. This is a great job somebody put up on me. I can’t 
talk about the fix I’m in without wanting to swear. It looks to me like 
an infernal shame. ” 

The Teacher. “Well, my friend, the Judge, who comes from Ken¬ 
tucky and brings his language with him, says that to keep a good man 
out of citizenship by such a freak twist in a good law is a ‘ damned 
outrage. ’ I do not often uncork the cayenne bottle in the classroom, 
but this is a time when I am driven to quote from the Judge’s blue 
grass dialect.” 

Mr. Nielsen. “ How are you going to fix it up when all of us get our 
second papers and send you to Congress ? ” 

The Teacher. “ Never mind about that Congress joke, but I would 
like to suggest the outline of a plan to simplify this five years-within- 
the-United-States item and at the same time collect evidence of fitness 
for citizenship of far greater value. Suppose each immigrant entering 
the country should be furnished at his port of landing a folder upon 
which there would be written his name, age and description This 
folder might bear the photograph of the possible American and a 
thumb print, as well. Let the immigrant be told that a complete rec¬ 
ord of his first five years in this country may win him citizenship Put 
the responsibility of keeping up the record on him. Stimulate his in¬ 
terest by promising him that if he does not become a citizen within a 
limited number of years he will be deported. When he finds a job in a 
town let him ask the postmaster to stamp on the folder the name of 
the town and date. When he leaves the town, he visits the postrnas 
ter again and that official stamps the date and writes some record of 
the immigrant-his attendance at night school or shop school a librarv 
bard, perhaps, some attendance on church services, lodge and society 


RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS 


29 


meetings where English is spoKen, the reading of a paper printed in 
our language, any facts of Americanization the postmaster could 
gather from witnesses our possible American would bring or from let- 
t9rs school and library people might write. In this way from town to 
town a concise record could be written that would be illuminating to 
the representative of the government at the court hearing for natu¬ 
ralization. If all of this is not possible the alien might be allowed to 
prove his five years within the United States through as many wit¬ 
nesses and depositions as he wants to pay for. It looKs like a good 
time to relax the tension of technique in Americanization and multiply 
the opportunities for the possible American to make good through 
preparation. The disposition of a man to become a good American is 
the valuable thing. He might stick around here until he is as old as 
Methusaleh and never do a tap to fit himself for the free air of this 
blessed country.” 

“Take your bad luck good naturedly, Mr. Purcell. You are not the 
first one who stubbed his toe on this little-known obstacle in an other¬ 
wise plain path to citizenship. Nobody is to blame except the Con¬ 
gressmen who, knowing of this contradiction of the general provision, 
‘within the United States five years,’ have done nothing to mend mat¬ 
ters. But you could have beaten the game, at that, had you under¬ 
stood it. You might have barrelled up a couple of the Des Moines 
neighbors, shipped them with your household goods and kept them 
locked in your cellar, until you needed them as witnesses, feeding 
them at intervals, of course.” 


A CHAT WITH SOME DECLARANTS IN A CIVICSC:LASS ON THE 

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS. 

America is good to the stranger within her gates, but if these stran¬ 
gers intend to stay here and are the right kind of people, they will 
want to do as you have done, make a stare toward American citizen¬ 
ship. After America has adopted you in the naturalization court, you 
become a part of the greatest of free republics. You become one of 
the American people who rule themselves, an example of government 
with the consent of the governed. You may as citizens serve your 
fellow citizens in public office. All doors of employment are open to 
you. Some are closed to the alien. You may travel abroad if you 
desire, after securing a passport through the Clerk of the Federal Court, 
and while away from the United States the strong arm of this govern¬ 
ment is around you to protect you. American citizens have the right 
to come together in meetings. Each one may go to the church he likes 
best or he does not need to go to any. He is not taxed to support any 
church. An American child has a right to hold any position in life he 
can reach by his ability. He is helped by free schools to grow strong in 
mind power; A citizen may have freedom of speech so long as he 
does not injure other people or talk so that he will influence other men 
to break the laws or oppose the organized government under which 


30 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


we enjoy our freedom. If enough Americans think as he does, the 
plans of government can be changed, for the will of the majority must 
prevail. 

In America a man accused of a crime is considered innocent until 
he is proved guilty. This is not so in many lands. In those countries 
an accused man must prove that he is innocent or suffer punishment. 
A man accused of crime has a right to speedy trial. He cannot be kept 
long in jail without having his side of the matter heard and passed upon. 

An immigrant who becomes a citizen has a different standing with 
the Americans he lives among. He is favored in many ways in his 
struggle to make a living. He is proud that he is no longer an alien— 
someone outside—but is a part of the government under which he lives. 
He feels that he has won his right to citizenship by good conduct, in¬ 
telligence and hard work, even though the same citizenship comes to 
others who have done nothing to deserve the honor. 

There are some duties of citizenship that you must accept at the 
same time that you gain the rights and privileges. You should honor 
your country and prefer it to all others, You must, of course, obey the 
laws as you do now. You must learn all you can of American govern¬ 
ment and join the political party you like best. You must vote for any 
measure that you think will benefit all of the people, not a few. You 
must vote for the men who you think will serve best all the people, 
not a few. Serve on a jury, if selected and hold any public office for 
which you think you are fitted and to which you are elected. Pay 
your taxes. Educate your children and give them a better chance 
than you ever had. Serve in the army or navy, if the country needs 
you to defend the Constitution and the flag. 

One of your especial duties will be to help Americanize people 
who come from your old home land. Give them good advice about 
becoming Americans. Tell them that American people naturally like 
the newcomers who are willing and cheerful and friendly, those who 
appreciate America as the land of opportunity. There are many laws 
they should know—laws relating to health, marriage, desertion, wife 
beating, gambling, selling liquor, school requirements, child labor, 
workmen’s compensation, peddling without license and others. If 
they do not get good advice, they may get into trouble. Tell the new¬ 
comers that Americans are apt to like a man who is industrious and 
tries to learn our language. It is a trial of their patience when a 
foreigner is always finding fault with all things American and is always 
bragging about his country. They wonder why he wished to leave so 
fine a place and why he does not hurry back. Sometimes Americans 
wish that such people, even naturalized citizens, had never come. 
These bragging, discontented people should be patient if America is 
not as fine as Europe in some ways and remember that this country is 
a great place for their little people to grow up in. 

Have you enlarged your collection of w^idow^s since w^e saw you Mir 
Stepanek ? 

Mr. Stepanek. “This time the widow who is an alien doesn’t want 
to become an American citizen by marrying anybody. She doesn’t 
believe in it. She wants to take out her first and second papers her- 


THE CONSTITUTION 


31 


self, as good as a man. But she wants to Know about her chiliren 
that she left behind in the old country. When she is American, will 
they be Americans, too?” 

The Teacher. “The government booK of rules for the last registra¬ 
tion of German Alien Females ’ has a ruling on that. It says that her 
naturalization maKes Americans of her foreign born children residing 
permanently in this land at the time of her naturalization and in ad¬ 
dition those still abroad who come to the United States for permanent 
residence before they are 21. ” 


A CHAT WITH ALL OF THE CLASS ON 

THE CONSTITUTION. 

There are 48 state constitutions. Iowa has one and it is a good 
one, but when an Iowan or any other American speaKs of The Consti¬ 
tution, it is pretty safe to guess that he means the great Constitution 
of the United States, probably the greatest state paper written by any 
body of men. The Constitution is the fundamental law of our land. It 
is the foundation of all laws passed by all of the law-maKing bodiss of 
this country. If any state constitution or any law of any Kind does not 
square with this foundation law as a house squares with its foundation, 
it is scratched from state records or from statute booKs and becomes 
as if it had never been. It is one duty of the courts to pass on the 
constitutionality of any law. This gives the courts great power and 
maKes them in fact as well as in theory one branch of the govern¬ 
ment, as was intended by the men who wrote the Constitution. Not 
long ago a man in this class said: “ It is not right that a law passed by 
531 men in Congress and approved by the President should be thrown 
into the waste basKet by nine men in the Supreme Court. ” I could 
only tell him that such is our plan of government and that it worKs. 

Every alien who wishes to become a citizen should read the Con¬ 
stitution, but most aliens should read it with someone who is able to 
help them understand the long words, strange and little used these 
days. Just reading the Constitution, word by word, will do but little 
good, if you do not understand the meaning. You ought to read it and 
try and understand it because you will be expected to Know some¬ 
thing about it at the court hearing for naturalization. 

In reading the Constitution you will want to give some time to the 
first part, called the preamble. Some people find in this preamble a 
statement of the principles of the Constitution. It seems to me rather 
to give the reasons for the adoption of the Constitution by states weary 
of the poor government carried on under the Articles of Confederation 
which were adopted two years after the Declaration of Independence 
and to present the ideals of these Constitution maKers which they 
hoped the new constitutiona' government would bring about—perfect 
union of all the states, justice established, domestic tranquility in¬ 
sured, the common defence provided, the general welfare promoted 
and the blessings of liberty secured to Americans for all time. 


32 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


In reading the Constitution there is one point to be noted which 
is of more importance than one would thinK at first. The long life of 
this government is provided for in the section which admits of the 
Constitution being amended or changed. The framers of the Constitu¬ 
tion did not consider the writing perfect for all time. They looKed 
ahead and saw that the foundation law must be capable of change to 
serve as the basic law to care for changed conditions. The original 
paper was written in 1787 and it has been amended 17 times. The 
number of amendments proposed is about 4,000. It is not an easy 
matter to change the Constitution. An amendment must first pass 
both houses of Congress by a two-thirds’ vote or be recommended by 
the legislatures of two-thirds of the states and then be approved by 
the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. 

A man who becomes a citizen by naturalization must swear in 
open court that he will support the Constitution of the United States 
and also that he will defend the Constitution and laws and bear true 
faith and allegiance to the same. You will surely want to Know what 
the Constitution is, that you may defend it wisely. The Constitution 
comes in the naturalization proceedings also at the time when you are 
required in your petition to swear that you are “ attached to the prin¬ 
ciples of the Constitution.” Each of your witnesses must swear that 
you are ” attached to the principles of the Constitution.” This is a good 
time to talK about these principles that we may Know what that oath 
means. Yon do not want to swear to anything you do not understand. 
A man might read the Constitution many times and not see deep 
enough to find its principles. On the other hand, he might never have 
read this foundation law and yet be attached to the principles of the 
Constitution. You had some of the love for the principles of the Con¬ 
stitution in your hearts when you decided to become American citi¬ 
zens. These principles are simple and are such that no man of true 
heart can help being attached to them. They are, briefly, liberty, jus¬ 
tice and equality. Hon. Richard K. Campbell, United States Commis¬ 
sioner of Naturalization is the discoverer, so far as I Know, of the sim¬ 
ple and beautiful principles of the Constitution as we now understand 
them. LooK in the Declaration of Independence and you will find some 
of the principles of the Constitution. One sentence reads: ” We hold 
that all men are created equal” and are endowed with the ‘‘inalienable 
right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This Declaration 
which led to the founding of our nation says that governments derive 
their just powers from the consent of the governed—another princi¬ 
ple of the Constitution. Abraham Lincoln put another one into words 
when he called this ‘‘a government of the people, by the people and 
for the people.” Another principle —equal rights to all under the law 
and special privilege to none. Some men have held that the princi¬ 
ples of humanity are the principles of the Constitution. True Ameri¬ 
can citizenship is but a membership in the brotherhood of humanity. 
All who love brotherhood, equality of chance, level treatment under 
the law are possible Americans, for they are attached to the principles 
of the Constitution, All who believe in the brotherhood of man are 
headed for American citizenship which is not based on Knowledge of 


FILING THE PETITION 


33 


our laws and the machinery of our government as much as it is on the 
spirit and attitude of the individual toward other men. Some one 
wiser than I am has written it, “ Americanism is a whole-souled and 
warm-hearted devotion to the American ideals of liberty, justice and 
patriotic service.” 

Do you believe in these thing's? Then you are attached to the 
principles of the Constitution. 

Any news from the widows today, Mr. StepaneK ? 

Mr. Stepanek. “ Maybe this is not for sure a widow, but just part 
way. She ask me to find out if she is American. She is born in this 
country. She marry a French alien and is then French, too. They do 
not have a happy home and they quit. Their church does not let them 
get divorce so they g'et from the Court what the lawyer called a ju¬ 
dicial separation. What is she now ? She want me to tell her.” 

The Teacher. “A copy of the rules for the registration of German 
alien females is lying on the desk. Let me read from it; ‘Any Ameri¬ 
can woman who marries a foreigner takes the nationality of hex hus¬ 
band. At the termination of the marital relation she may resume her 
American citizenship. ’ But the rule goes on, ‘ The marital relation is 
terminated by death or absolute divorce, not by mere judicial or vol¬ 
untary separation.’ So you see, Mr. Stepanek, your neighbor lady is 
neither a widow nor an American. ” 


.4 CHAT WITH MICHAEL DOUGHERTY ON 

FILING THE PETITION. 


You tell me, Mr. Dougherty, that you are all ready to petition for 
citizenship, that you have been in this country five years and in Iowa 
one year, that you are 21 years old—all petitioners must be 21—that 
you sent to Washington some time ago your first paper with a request 
for the Certificate of Arrival and the attached statement of facts and 
have just got word from the Naturalization Bureau that the papers 
have been forwarded to the Clerk at Davenport. You seem to have 
everything lined up properly. So far everything goes finely. Do not 
wait for the Clerk to send for you, but look after the filing of your peti¬ 
tion without delay. Now, be sure that your two witnesses are ready 
to go with you to the court house, that they know what the law re¬ 
quires them to know to see you through and that they will tell what 
they know without hesitation or uncertainty. Be sure that you have 
the $4.00 ready for the fees. 

The law states that in your petition you will give your full name, 
place of residence, by street and number, if possible, the place and 
date of your birth, the place from which you emigrated, and the date 
and place of your arrival in the United States, and, if you entered 
through a port, the name of the vessel on which you arrived; also the 
time when, and the place and name of the Court where, you de¬ 
clared your intention of becoming a citizen of the United States. You 


34 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


have the good fortune to be married, I believe, Mr. Dougherty. In that 
case you will be expected to state in this petition your wife’s name 
and where she was born and her place of residence at the time you 
file this petition. LiKewise, you will give the name, date and place of 
birth of each of your children, if you have children. 

Now, as to the other requirements of the petition, let me read a 
little of the law. It goes on to say that the “petition shall set forth 
that the petitioner, is not a disbeliever in or opposed to organized 
government, or a member of or affiliated with any organization or body 
of persons teaching disbelief in or opposed to organized government, 
a polygamist or a believer in the practice of polygamy, and that it is 
his intention to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce 
absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, 
potentate, state or sovereignty, and particularly by name to the 
prince, potentate, state or sovereignty of which he at the time of filing 
his petition may be a citizen or subject, and that it is his intention to 
reside permanently within the United States, and whether or not he 
has been denied admission as a citizen of the United States, and, if 
denied, the ground or grounds of such denial, the court or courts in 
which such decision was rendered and that the cause for such 
denial has since been cured or removed, and every fact material to 
his naturalization and required to be proved upon a final hearing of 
his application.” 

To the truth of all facts in this petition, Mr. Dougherty, you will 
maKe oath and will also sign your name. Had you reached America 
before June 29, 1906, you could have let the ClerK do the writing 
while you “touched the pen.” 

Your affidavit, or oath, is strengthened by the affidavits of your two 
witnesses who must be citizens of the United States and may ba 
women. They must go with you to the Clerk’s office when you make 
your petition. If they are naturalized citizens, they should take with 
them their certificates of naturalization or second papers. These wit¬ 
nesses must swear that you have lived in Iowa at least one year pre¬ 
ceding the signing of the petition. If they can swear to your being a 
resident of this country for the entire five years just preceding the 
signing of the petition, year after year, you will need no other wit¬ 
nesses to make it plain to the court that you can satisfy the law in 
the matter of residence. If you have moved from another state into 
Iowa during the five years, you must get depositions from additional 
witnesses in the state or states you lived in before you came to Iowa 
to show clearly a five years’ residence in this country without a break. 

The Clerk will get this testimony for you and this will cost you some 
money. The witnesses who help you with your petition must swear— 
to quote the law—that “ they each have personal knowledge that the 
petitioner is a person of good, moral character, and that he is in every 

qualified, in their opinion, to be admitted as a citizen of the United 
States.” 

If you have been in Iowa all of the five years you have lived in 
the United States but have not lived all of the time in this county, you 


FILING THE PETITION 


35 


AFFIDAVITS OF FETITIONEU AND WITNESSES 


STATE OF IOWA 
Scott County 

ss: ’ 

The aforesaid petitioner beins’ duly sworn, deposes and says that he is the 
pelitmner in the above entitled proceedings; that he has read the foregoing' petition 
and knows the contents thereof; that the said petition is signed with his full, true 
n.ime , that the same is true of his own knowledge except as to matters therein 
stated to be alleged upon information and belief, and that as to those matters lie 
believes it to be true. 


(Complete and true signature of petitioner.) 


.Occupation . residing at. 

tind.. occupation.residing at.•. 

each being severally, duly and respectively sworn, deposes and says that he is a 

citizen of the United States of America; that he has personally known. 

•....the petitioner above mentioned, to have re¬ 

sided in the United States continuously immediately preceding the date of filing his 

petition, since the.day of.. anno Domini 1.; and in the 

state in which the above entitled petition is made continuously since the. 

day of.anno Domini 1.; and that he has personal know- 

le(ige that the said petitioner is a person of good moral character, attached to the 
principles of the Constitution of the United States and that, the petitioner is in every 
way qualified, in his opinion, to be admitted a citizen of the United States. 


(Signature of witness.) 


(Signature of witne.ss.) 

Subscribed and sworn to before me bv the above-named petitioner and witnesses 

in the office of the Clerk of said Court this.day of.anno 

1 )omini 191.... 


No 


By 


., Clerk. 

, Deputy Clerk. 


will be wiser before you are much older and not at all happier. We 
talKed of this KinX in the law so lately that you cannot have forgotten it. 

In swearing to five years of continuous residence in this country, 
you and your witnesses need not consider any visiting or pleasure trip 
beyond the boundaries of the United States as spoiling your record of 
continuous residence. 

You should be very sure, Mr. Dougherty, that your witnesses Know 
exactly what is expected of them, that they have the Knowledge to 
see you through and will not hesitate to give it under oath. Be certain 
that they can answer all questions as to residence and have them in 
their testimony cover five solid years, if possible. 

Your fee of $4.00 must be paid to the C’erK before he begins to fill 
the blanK which when filled becomes your petition. To this petition 
when completed the ClerK will attach the papers he has received from 
Washington—the first paper, the Certificate of Arrival and the state- 





























36 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


merit of facts which went to Washington with your request for the cer¬ 
tificate. These are made a part of the petition you file. Your name is 
now .posted in the court house as one who desires citizenship and if 
anyohe has a reason, he may object to your becoming aa American. 

In the time which must elapse between the filing of petition and 
the appearance in court—^at least 90 days—there is a good chance for 
you, Mr. Dougherty—and I hope all of the class are listening— a good 
chance to looK up the matters which you are supposed to Know when 
your turn comes before the government examiner. li will do you no 
harm to learn more than you thinK will be asKed of you. And you will 
be all the better citizen because you will be a more intelligent one. 
Do not thinK that it will be good enough for you to Know as much 
about this country as most men born here Know. The Bureau of Nat¬ 
uralization expects you to Know more—and I thinK you will. 

Keep in touch with your witnesses. 

At the time of filing your petition notice may be given in writing of 
your wish to change your name at the time of the hearing in court. 
The notice should contain your reasons for wishing to change. 

Anybody need an extra dipperfull of wisdom today ? 

Mr. JelineK. “ I am going to beat Friend StepaneK to the weeKly 
question about the citizenship of widows. I heard of one and she is a 
bird. She was a Swiss. She became an American by marriage. Now 
she is a widow and wants to be again a Swiss and stay in this country, 
too. Can you beat it ? ” 

The Teacher. “ There may be property reasons bacK of her wish, 
but on the face of things it looKs liKe a case of poor judgment. She 
can regain the Swiss citizenship she enjoyed before her marriage by 
going to a Court competent to grant naturalization and taKe an oath re¬ 
nouncing her American citizenship. If you Know her well enough, 
you’d better advise her to go bacK to her land of edelweiss and snowy 
mountains. ” 

Mr. Anderson. “ Can an alien go to the court house and file his 
declaration any day in the year ? ” 

The Teacher. “The law of May, 1918, provides that no first paper 
can be taKen out on election day or for 30 days before any election in 
the jurisdiction of the Court, neither may any petition for citizenship 
be heard within 30 days before any election in the jurisdiction of the 
Court. ” 

Mr. Anderson. “ That is going to maKe it uncomfortable for the 
candidates for citizenship. How many elections in Scott county 
this year?” 

The Teacher. “ One state, one city, two primaries, two school elec¬ 
tions, one regular and one for bonding, and the election of the county 
superintendent of schools. There may be others called to fill any va¬ 
cancies.” 

Mr. Anderson. That s seven elections at 30 days apiece, and 
when they get five more special elections to land a dog pounder in Big 
RocR, an assessor in Pleasant Valley and two road scratchers inCleona 
township, the year will be nicely filled. We might put a whistle on the 


GEOGRAPHY 


37 


court house to blow on the days which maKe up the open season 
when it’s leg'al for ambitious aliens to hunt first papers.” 

Mr. Finnerty. “ ’Tis a good law, just the same, and I’ll tell you why. 
There’s states where they let an immigrant vote before he gets over 
his seasicKness. He votes for president while at the same time he’s 
thinkin’ that a traffic cop is some kind of an American duke. This law 
will keep the politicians in the sage brush country, likewise the pelican 
section, from meeting the train with a bus, election day, filling it with 
Carpathians just off the ship and running them around to the polls by 
way of the court house. ” 

The Teacher. “I do not know just what the new law means, but I 
am very sure that no regulation will interfere with the right kind of an 
alien becoming an American citizen. We need them.” 


A CHAT WHICH WILL TAKE UP A FEW LINES ON 

GEOGRAPHY. 


In school the study of Geography takes in many subjects of great 
value. People never get through the study of Geography, there is so 
much to learn. But this must be a very short chat, and we will talk 
of only a few things that every American ought to know and also a 
few things of especial interest to lowans. 

We live in Davenport in the state of Iowa and on the Mississippi 
river. We are about 180 miles west of Chicago and about the same 
distance east of Des Moines, the capital city of Iowa. The largest two 
cities north of us are Minneapolis and St. Paul. To the westward are 
Omaha, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. To the south lie St. 
Louis and New Orleans. To the east are seven very large cities of the 
country, in the order of their population—New York, Chicago, Phila¬ 
delphia, Boston, Cleveland, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Iowa is in the 
center of our country which extends 1,600 miles from north to south 
and 2,800 miles from east to west. It takes a fast train five days to 
cross this country. There are many sorts of climate in the United 
and many rivers, mountains, lakes and forests. There are many dif¬ 
ferent animals, trees and plants. 

The neighboring country on the north is the Dominion of Canada. 
Mexico borders on the south. The Atlantic ocean is east of us and the 
Pacific ocean is west of us. The Mississippi river is the largest river 
in this country and with its tributaries lies in the Mississippi basin, 
the finest place in the world to live. The Rocky mountains are in the 
western part of the country and the Alleghany mountains in the east¬ 
ern part. 

Iowa is a farming state and there are no large cities. In the United 
States one man in three is engaged in farming, tree growing or raising 
animals. One out of 40 is engaged in taking minerals out of the 
ground; 2 8 out of each 100 in manufacturing and mechanical plants; 
one in 14 in transportation; one in 10 in trade, one in 100 in the pub- 


LEt 


38 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 











































































'A VERY SHORT HISTORY 


39 


lie service, one in 2 5 in professional service, one in 10 in domestic 
and personal service and one in 20 in clerical occupations. 

The population of the United States is about one hundred millions. 
Iowa has over 2,000,000Jpeople. There are 48 states"in the Union, 
four territories and the District of Columbia. Our national capital is 
Washington where the president lives in the White House, where Con¬ 
gress meets and where the Supreme Court holds its sessions. 

A list of the states and territories with capitals and number of rep¬ 
resentatives in Congress: States—Alabama, Montgomery, 10; Arizona, 
Phoenix, 1; ArKansas, Little RocK, 7; California, Sacramento, 11; Colo¬ 
rado, Denver, 4; Connecticut, Hartford, 5; Delaware, Dover, 1; Florida, 
Tallahasse, 4; Georgia, Atlanta, 12; Idaho, Boise City, 2; Illinois, Spring- 
field, 27; Indiana, Indianapolis, 13; Iowa, Des Moines, 11; Kansas; To- 
peKa, 8; KentucKy, FranKfort, 11; Louisiana, Baton Rouge, S; Maine, 
Augusta, 4; Maryland, Annapolis, 6; Massachusetts, Boston, 16; Mich¬ 
igan, Lansing, 13; Minnesota, St. Paul, 10; Mississippi, JacKson, 8; Missouri, 
Jefferson City, 16: Montana, Helena, 2;iNebrasKa, Lincoln, 6; Nevada, 
Carson City, 1; New Hampshire, Concord, 2; |New Jersey, Trenton, 12; 
New Mexico, Sante Fe, 1; New YorK, Albany, 43; North Carolina, 
Raleigh, 10; North DaKota, BismarcK, 3; Ohio, Columbus, 2 2;OKlahoiTLa, 
Guthrie, 8; Oregon, Salem, 3; Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, 36; Rhode Is¬ 
land, Providence, 3; South Carolina, Columbia, 7; South DaKota, Pierre, 
3; Tennessee, Nashville, 10; Texas, Austin, 18; Utah, Salt LaKe City, 2: 
Vermont, Montpelier, 2; Virginia, Richmond, 10; Washington, Olympia, 
5; West Virginia,"Charleston, 6; Wisconsin, Madison, 11; Wyoming, 
Cheyenne, 1. 

Territories—AlasKa, Juneau, 1; Hawaii, Honolulu, 1; Porto Rico, San 
Juan, 1; Philippine Islands, Manila, 2. 

The possessions of thel’United States include the four territories 
just named, Guam, in the Ladrone islands, Tituila in the Samoan is¬ 
lands, WaKe and other small islands between Hawaii and Guam, the 
Panama canal zone and three islands just east of Porto Rico bought 
from Denmark in 1917—St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. 

There is a good deal of information in this chat that you will not 
care to remember but it is nice to have it where you can find it if you 
want it. 


A RATHER LONG CHAT. THIS ONE. IT IS ABOUT THE UNITED STATES 
AND IS REALLY 

A VERY SHORT HISTORY. 

When Europeans.^first came to this country, it was inhabited by 
tribes of Indians. One of the largest Indian cities on this continent 
was near the present site of Davenport, on the Illinois side of the Miss¬ 
issippi and near the mouth of Rock river, i The Sauk and Fox Indians 
lived there and | also where Davenport and Princeton stand in Scott 
county, Iowa. Christopher Columbus, an Italian but sailing for Spain, 


40 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


has the honor of discovering America, in 1492. John Cabot, also an 
Italian but sailing for England, landed on the mainland in 149 7. So 
Spain and England both claimed the new world. France explored the 
Interior of the country and claimed much land. The first white men 
who saw the land which is now Iowa were Frenchmen, Marquette 
and Joliet, who passed down the Mississippi in canoes in 16 7 3. Amer¬ 
ica tooK its name from Amerigo Vespucii, an early visitor who made 
this country widely Known when he returned home. Colonies along 
the Atlantic coast were made* by English, Spanish, French, Dutch, 
Swedes and Germans. These colonists had a very hard time. Most 
of them treated the Indians badly eind made enemies of them. 

These Europeans, far from home. Kept their foothold on the Atlan¬ 
tic coast and finally began to feel liKe freemen although all were un¬ 
der the rule of England. In 17 74 the colonists feeling that as they were 
heavily taxed they should have some part in levying the tax, sent 
representatives from all the colonies, then numbering 13, who held a 
gathering and talKed over what should be done. The King of England 
may have seen that there was trouble ahead, but he did nothing to 
maKe friends with his subjects across the sea. In 17 75 colonists'were 
Killed by English soldiers and the war of the American Revolution be¬ 
gan. The spirit of resistance spread. July 4,1 7 76, another gathering 
of representatives from all of the colonies announced the freedom of 
this country in the famous Declaration of Independence. The war 
continued eight years. The rebellion succeeded and became a revo¬ 
lution. America’s right to freedom was acKnowledged by the mother 
country. In this war George Washington a wealthy planter of Virginia 
was the commander-in-chief. The colonies were greatly assisted by 
France, at that time also at war with England. With the colonists in 
this war for freedom fought great men from Europe—LaFayette, Roch- 
ambeau and DeGrasse of France; Steuben and DeKalb, Germans; Pu- 
lasKi and KosciusKo, Poles. 

Since 17 74 the colonists had been fighting shoulder to shoulder, 
holding together for mutual protection without any tie stronger than a 
common danger and a common ideal. Some form of central govern¬ 
ment was needed and in 1778 a gathering of representatives was 
held, the name of the United States of America was adopted and a 
plan of government called The Articles of Confederation agreed to. 
This proved unsatisfactory and in 178 7 another representative gath¬ 
ering formed the present Constitution of the United States a very 
great document, which has served as the foundation for our splendid 
republic and has safeguarded to all citizens our rights and liberties. 

Under this Constitution the greatly beloved leader of the Revolu¬ 
tion, George Washington, was chosen president. People of all nations 
honor Washington. Some of the generals of the army that had gained 
independence wished to maKe him King. He said: “I have fought to 
free this country from rulers.” He served two terms and declined a 
third. Since that time no president has served more than two terms. 

The new country grew. Adventurous men from the Atlantic states 
pushed westward'and settled beyond the Alleghenies, The territory 
between the_Misstsstppi and theRocKy mountains which had belonged 


, A VERY SHORT HISTORY 


41 


to France, then to Spain, and ag'ain to France, was bought in 1803 as 
tae “Louisiana Purchase.” Iowa was afterward carved from this great 
territory. The rights of the Indians to this land was also bought by 
our government. The SauKs and Foxes released their claim to the 
eastern part of Iowa, a tract of land Known as the BlacK HawK Pur¬ 
chase, by a treaty signed in 1832 where Davenport stands. 

In 1812 we fought another victorious war with England over our 
plan of naturalizing the citizens of other countries. In 1842 we tooK 
up the quarrel which Texas had with Mexico. The people of Texas, 
many of them settlers from the United States, rebelled against Mexico 
and joined the United States as a state. War followed.'^ This was in 
1845. As the result of this war this country grew greatly along the 
southern border, in the RocKy mountain region and along the Pacific. 

In 1861 a bitterly fought war broKe out between the northern and 
southern portions of our country. The South organized the Confeder¬ 
ate States of America in the attempt to secede from the government. 
The North compelled the South to remain in the Union. This war was 
fought for the greater part over slavery and during the years of fighting 
the colored people were made freemen. The president of the nation 
during this time of trouble was Abraham Lincoln, a man of the people, 
born in a log cabin, having little education, and that secured by him¬ 
self. He is called the “ Preserver of the Union,” as George Washington 
is called the “ Father of his Country.” It is a fine proof of the demo¬ 
cratic character of our government that of the greatest two of our list of 
presidents one was the wealthiest man in the country and the other 
selected from among the poorest people. The leading general for the 
North in the Civil war was Ulysses S. Grant; for the South, Robert E. 
Lee. Many Iowa soldiers were trained for thts war in camps at Dav¬ 
enport and went to the front from this city. 

In 1898 we fought a short and decisive war with Spain over her 
treatment of Cuba, and the people of this island were made an inde¬ 
pendent nation. William McKinley was president at this time. At the 
end of this war Porto Rico and the Philippine islands were bought from 
Spain. In 1898 Hawaii, a republic on the Sandwich islands, asKed to 
become a part of the United States, and this was done. In 1903 one of 
the nine departments of the South American country, Colombia, re¬ 
belled and later became the Republic of Panama. This new nation 
sold to the United States a strip of land ten miles wide across the Isth¬ 
mus of Panama and the United States built the Panama canal. 

In 1917 our country entered the world war to fight against G ermany 
and Austria because those two nations in maKing war upon other na¬ 
tions had included this country in what we considered acts of war. 

This country has made much history through wars, but it has made 
still more history through the arts of peace—history along social and 
political lines, history in the industrial arts and sciences, in literature, 
painting, sculpture, architecture. Americans have excelled in inven¬ 
tions. Some of these American inventions we would not Know how to 
to live without- the cotton gin, steamboat, sewing machine, telegraph, 
electric lamp, telephone, the reaper, type writer, motion picture equip- 




42 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


ment. During the growth of this country roads and canals have been 
built to aid travel and the exchange of goods. Many railroads have been 
built. The first worK on the first line of railroad west of the Mississippi 
was done at Davenport. Rivers have been spanned by many bridges. 
The Mississippi was first bridged at Davenport. Churches and schools 
have been provided in every little town. Colleges and universities are 
everywhere. The first college west of the Mississippi opened its doors 
at Davenport. It wes then called Icwa college, now Grinnell college. 

The eastern shore of this country was first colonized and the growth, 
has been steadily to the westward. The Pacific slope gained many set¬ 
tlers through the discovery of gold in California. Vast coal fields and 
the mineral wealth of the mountains have added greatly to the wealth 
of the country. The oil fields, the boundless forests and the ever-pres¬ 
ent water powers have helped to maKe the United States great and 
powerful. The greatest influence in the growth of this country in 
wealth and population has come from the character of American citi¬ 
zenship. Let it not be forgotten that much of this fine quality of 
citizenship has been added by the millions of people, not Americans 
by birth but Americans in soul and spirit, who have come to this 
country from other lands for freedom, and have helped to make our 
splendid American history, have helped in the wonderful growth of 
America and have helped to keep bright the lofty American ideals 
of the founders. 

Since the adoption of the Constitution in 17 8 7 the United States 
has had 2 7 Presidents. All have been great men but not great in 
equal degree. They have all been honored with the confidence and 
love of a majority of the people. A list of the Presidents—George 
Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James 
Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin VanBuren, Wil¬ 
liam Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard 
Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew 
Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, 
Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore 
Roosevelt, William H. Taft and Woodrow Wilson. 


A CHAT WITH THE CLASS ON 


OUR FLAG 


This might easily be a long talk, for there is very much to tell about 
the national emblem, the flag of our country. Much has been written 
in prose and poetry about Old Glory, as we like to call our flag. It is 
the most beautiful flag in the world. The fanciful Chinese call it “the 
flower flag.” It stirs the hearts of Americans to look upon it, for our 
love of country is not only a thought of the mind but a thrill of the 
emotions as well. Men have followed this flag on battlefields to death 
and fadeless glory because of the visions it arouses and the ideals for 
which it stands. Let us speak for a minute of the flag itself. The ba- 




OUR FLAG 


4U 


sis of the stars and stripes was the merchant flag' of England, a flag of 
red with a union showing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. 
Upon this red surface six broad white stripes were laid to typify the 
six principal countries from which America had been peopled. BacK 
of the six white stripes so placed the red bacKground showed in seven 
equal stripes, and the 13 equal stripes so formed were taKen as a sym¬ 
bol of the 13 colonies that battled for freedom and became the 13 origi¬ 
nal states. The field of crosses soon gave way to a purely American 
design of a constellation of 13 white stars in a blue field. The colors 
in our flag have had significance from very ancient times. Red means 
bravery; white means purity and blue means justice. 

When our flag was young, it was planned that both a star and a 
stripe should be added to the flag when a state was added to the Un¬ 
ion. Perhaps you remember seeing a flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes 
raised over the blocK house at the Fort Armstrong Centennial in 1916. 
This flag was given to the breeze on the centennial occasion because 
such a flag was the national emblem 100 years before. As years went 
by and it became evident that many more stripes and stars might be 
added, the national banner was planned as we now have it—the past 
remembered in the stripes, the present noted in the stars. There is 
room in the blue field for a small sky-full of stars. Doubtless there will 
be many more. We Americans feel and believe that our flag stands 
for hope, humanity and high ideals. These ideals are listed by William 
Backus Guitteau, the author who wrote a book on citizenship that Dav¬ 
enport children study in the schools—self reliance, the quality that 
defends and succeeds, liberty under the law; democracy, the equal 
opportunity; free education for all; humanity, the desire to share our 
blessings with others; world peace; patriotism, the crowning ideal 
which makes other ideals possible. 

Around Old Glory have always rallied men who hold belief in the 
principles of our Constitution, liberty, justice, equality, the inalienable 
right of all to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, men who be¬ 
lieve in a government of the people, for the people and by the people, 
men who believe in a government which derives its just powers from 
the consent of the governed. Our flag has led into battle men fighting 
for these principles. We fought under this flag for national liberty in 
17 76, for the oppressed of other lands who had made this country 
their home in 1812, for our brethren striving to free themselves from 
the despotic rule of Mexico in 1846, for the black slave in 1861, for the 
suffering Cubans in 1898, and now again the flag is leading on the 
battlefields of France Americans determined to defend the free peoples 
of the earth and the small nations of the globe. Our flag has never led 
us into a selfish war. 

Since our flag came into being half the nations of the world have 
become republics, and in this march toward freedom and self-govern¬ 
ment these peoples who have thrown off monarchy have been encour¬ 
aged by our welcome, and to them our flag has been as a guiding star. 

We like to think that our flag waves over a country of equality in 
right and privilege, a land of free schools and free libraries, over a land 


44 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


of intelligent and unselfish service to oppressed peoples. Our flag rip¬ 
ples in the breeze over a land of great resources, a land of wealth to be 
wisely used, aland of busy worKshops, broad fields and happy homes. 
It is the flag of heroes who fight and martyrs who fall in the struggle 
for liberty. The ideals for which the flag stands are all that maKes life 
worth livirig. They are ideals for which one may die, if need be. Our 
glorious flag deserves our honor and compels our love. 

I am going to asK. the class to rise and repeat with me a pledge 
to the flag soon to be your own. Please fix your eyes on the Stars and 
Stripes at the front of the room and repeat with me: 

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for 
which it stands; One Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Jus¬ 
tice for all. 

This will close class exercises for today. Good bye, gentlemen. 


A LITTLE CHAT FILLED WITH QUOTATIONS ON 

UNWELCOME ALIENS. 


Not all foreigners are welcomed tnto American citizenship beside 
those Kept out by racial lines or criminal record. The procedure is 
planned to exclude from citizenship certain men not deemed of good 
material for adoption. A man who taKes out his first paper must swear 
that he is neither an anarchist nor a polygamist. In his petition for nat¬ 
uralization he must go a little farther and swear that he is neither po¬ 
lygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. He neither has 
more than one wife at a time nor believes that any man should have. 
In this petition a man must go farther, also, in regard to anarchy. He 
must say; “ I am not a disbeliever in nor opposed to organized govern¬ 
ment or a member of or affiliated with any organization or body of 
persons teaching disbelief in or opposed to organized government. ” 

The judges of the courts upon whom is laid the duty of understand¬ 
ing and applying the law must hold in mind when admitting aliens to 
citizenship that they must be satisfied that the petitioners are “ well 
disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States.” Every 
Judge in a naturalization court must Keep in mind another section of 
the law which says; “That no person who disbelieves in or is opposed 
to organized government or who is a member Of or affiiliated with any 
organization entertaining and teaching such disbelief in or opposition 
to organized government or who advocates or teaches the duty, neces¬ 
sity or propriety of the unlawful assaulting or Kiting of any officer or 
officers, either of specific individuals or of officers generally, of the gov¬ 
ernment of the United States, or of any other organized government 
because of his or their official character, or who is a polygamist, shall 
be naturalized or be made a citizen of the United States.” 

Mr. Edelblute. “ My friend, Durchbrenner, says it hasn’t anything 
to do with what we have been talKing about but he wants to Know 
something. ” 


LEARNING ENGLISH 


45 


The Teacher. “ Tell us what’s bothering you, Mr, Durchbrenner.” 

Mr. Durchbrenner. “It’s about this Certificate of Landing that you 
tell us each of us must have to be a citizen. I couldn’t get one for a 
million dollars. I ran away from a German war ship in New YorK har¬ 
bor, slipped ashore and shipped. There were two of us and they got 
the other one. When I strucK the shore, there wasn’t a brass buttons 
with an immigrant booh around to bid me welcome to his little city. 
If the reception committee from Ellis island had been on hand, he 
would have had to be some runner to get the color of my hair. When 
I strucK shore, I only hit the ground every 40 feet and was 20 miles 
beyond Albany when I stopped for breath. What do I do now ?” 

The Teacher. “ You will have to lay your case before the Depart¬ 
ment of Immigration to get any standing in your attempt to gain citi¬ 
zenship. The men in the ClerK’s office at the court house will help you. 
Then your required five years of stay in this country will date from 
the date of the permit given you by the Department of Immigration. 
Thi is the way in which all men who arrive in this country as runaways 
or stowaways or those who enter the country through seaports or bor¬ 
der towns not authorized must secure their naturalization. ’’ 


A CHAT WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS GATHERED IN A CLASS AT THE DAV¬ 
ENPORT INSTITUTE ON 

LEARNING ENGLISH. 


A naturalization law passed not so many years ago has this sen¬ 
tence-. “No alien shall be naturalized or admitted as a citizen of the 
United States who cannot speaK the English language.” The intent of 
the law is made more clear by another sentence which says that any 
alien physically unable to talK shall be admitted by stating his inability 
to speak the English language. 

There is a reason why the plans of naturalization in force in this 
country for many years have been changed to exclude those who do 
not talk the language of this country. It is because those who have 
thought deeply on the matter have decided that a man who does not 
understand our language cannot become so good a citizen as one who 
does. I wish that you men who talk and understand English pretty 
v/ell—some of you very well—would talk about this to those lately ar 
rived and those who have been here longer but have never troubled 
themselves to learn our language and urge them to learn English for 
their own satisfaction and because it is the quickest way to better their 
condition and the only v/ay to become naturalized. With the ability 
to speak and understand English comes the chance at easier work 
and more money. Such men are treated less like greenhorns by 
thoughtless and wicked people who take more money from them in a 
trade than they should. They can then read the signs put up to keep 
people out of danger and to direct them where they wish to go. If 
people call a warning to them and they understand English, they may 


46 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


be saved from injury or death. Men will not be afraid to worK in shops 
with immigrants whose lacK of English maKes them dangerous asso¬ 
ciates. An investigating official of New York gives the opinion that 
seven out of ten of the industrial accidents among alien employes are 
caused by ignorance of the language in which safety directions are 
given. The Ford automoble factory reports that accidents have been 
reduced more than one-half by their factory schools of English. 

An alien may learn much of good citizenship from papers printed 
in a foreign language in this country and from books in a foreign tongue 
at the public library. It is all perfectly natural and right for an immi¬ 
grant to read papers printed in his own tongue. It is as important as it 
is right for him to learn the language of this country in addition. He 
should try to learn some new words each day by talking English with 
his friends, although it is much easier for all of them to speak some¬ 
thing else. He can learn our language by reading English in books and 
papers and in street car advertising and on bill boards and signs along 
the road. If he can, he should by all means go to night school or to 
afternoon school if he works at night. His little stock of a few words 
will grow until he can gain the vocabulary needed in his contact with 
the world in which he works and buys his necessities. There must be 
a common language in the United States that all may fully understand 
one another. Unity of speech will bring unity of thought, unity of feel¬ 
ing, unity of patriotism. 

The newcomer needs English to gain a knowledge of his surround¬ 
ings which are unlike those to which he is accustomed. He needs 
English that ways of self-improvement may open, that his social circle 
may widen, that his manner of life may be bettered. He needs Eng¬ 
lish to learn of the advantages of American citizenship, learn of Amer- 
can ideals, learn of the protection this new world gives him and what 
it expects of him in return. In time he will gain through his knowledge 
of English a fine understanding of this government and will become a 
worthy and respected citizen. 

It is natural for men who come from other lands to hunt for men of 
the same race and language and to depend upon them for advice as 
to getting a place to live and a job. It is natural for them to camp to¬ 
gether in some city. It is easy to talk together in the mother tongue, 
to read only foreign language papers, to be interested only in matters 
happening in the old home beyond the sea. In all cities are these com¬ 
munities of immigrants Known as “foreign colonies.” These were 
called by Samuel Gompers, the great labor leader, in a recent speech, 
“ hotbeds of disintegration and disloyalty.” When he used these long 
and scorching words, he was not blaming the immigrants as much as 
he was the Americans who have permitted such conditions and fos¬ 
tered them by neglect. 

From the ranks of men who have become citizens without becom¬ 
ing Americans in love for democracy and pride in this land come the 
slackers of double allegiance or anything-else-beside-American alle¬ 
giance who are “a standing monument to American kindness,” as a 
speaker recently put it. A^standing monument surely, a monument to 


I 


AMERICAN HOLIDAYS 47 

American careelssness as to what these aliens who serve them in the 
hardest tasKs read and thinK about, a monument to American lacK. of 
friendliness, to American injury to immigrants throug'h lacK of plan in 
distribution, a monument to 100 years of bad management in naturali¬ 
zation in that aliens have had small help to maKe preparation for citi¬ 
zenship—no chance to meet fairly the rules of the g'ame. 

A Knowledg'e of English is the Key to good citizenship. A Knowl¬ 
edge and use of another language is not a bar to good citizenship. It 
is a very desirable thing to Know more than one language, but to be 
an American one must Know the language of America. 


A LITTLE CHAT WITH THE CLASS IN CIVICS ON 

AMERICAN HOLIDAYS. 


You Know all about holidays, for where you came from you had more 
than we have in America, but we have quite a list. There are over 
50 days in the year, aside from the Sundays, that are Kept as legal 
holidays in some state of the Union. The naming of legal holidays is 
one of the matters left to the states by the national government. 
There is no such thing as a “national” holiday in the sense that any 
special day is declared to be a holiday for the whole country by the 
United States government. The national government settles how many 
days shall be Kept as holidays in the District of Columbia, in the terri¬ 
tories, possessions, navy yards and arsenals. Each state selects its 
own holidays. Some have many. One state has none—that is, there 
is none named by state law. The people of that state observe holi¬ 
days by common consent. The Iowa legal holidays—January 1, New 
Year’s day; February 12, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday; February 22, 
Georg© Washington’s birthday; May'30, Memorial day, or Decoration 
Day, its common and incorrect name. Kept in memory of soldiers and 
sailors who have given their lives for their country; July 4, anniversary 
of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 17 76; first Mon¬ 
day in September, Labor Day, in honor of men who worK; Tuesday, 
after the first Monday in November in even numbered years. General 
Election day; last Thursday in November, ThanKsgiving Day; Decem¬ 
ber 25, Ghristmas Day. 

It might be better if America had more holidays and played more, 
men, women and children. We ought to learn how to enjoy the simple 
nleasures of life from you folKs. I often thinK of the written page a 
little Bohemian woman handed in at evening school when asKed to tell 
of the new land and what she found here. ThinKing of the holidays 
and evenings of singing and dancing in her faraway home village she 
wrote, “ America is no much merry.” Indeed it is not a joyous land 
for the lonesome aliens who do America’s drudgery. The little mother 
from far Bohemia is dead now and she left us something to thinK about. 
‘‘ America is no much merry.” Indeed it is not. 


48 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


AN UNUSUAL CHAT-THIS ONE TO GET THE CLASS TO REMEMBER THE 

PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.. 


This afternoon I want to tell you of an American saint. Most of 
the saints in the calendar are foreigners and none the worse for that, 
probably. This saint of mine is a political saint and lives in Washing¬ 
ton. His name looKs as if he might ba a Slav but he is a thorough 
American. He is our friend St. Wapniacl. Great name, isn’t it? He is 
your friend beoause if you remember him you will remember the 
President’s cabinet and the order of the Presidential succession. You 
may Know that under the Constitution the President has the right to 
call to his aid to give counsel on all affairs of state a number ol men 
of expert wisdom in the various departments of the government. 
First comes the Secretary of the State Department who looKs after 
our relations with other countries. Next is the Secretary of the Treas¬ 
ury Department who naturally looKs after the nation’s money; then 
the Secretary of War who cares for the army; then follows the 
Attorney General, the nation’s lawyer; the Postmaster General who 
looKs after the country’s mail service; the Secretary of the Navy who 
Knows that arm of the national defense; the Secretary of the Interior 
who Keeps an eye on certain business within our boundaries; the Sec¬ 
retary of the Agricultural Department who looKs after the farmers; the 
Secretary of Commerce who looKs after matters of trade and transpor¬ 
tation and the Secretary of the Department of Labor who has a liKing 
for all of us people who worK. These men form the President’s cabinet. 
Should the President die in office and the Vice President who suc¬ 
ceeds him also die, the members of the cabinet would succeed to the 
office of President in the order we have spoKen of them, although of 
course any cabinet officer of foreign birth could not accept the honor. 
Let’s get the cabinet members lined up so that you can find your friend 
St. Wapniacl. 

Secretary of State 
Secretary of the T reasury 
Secretary of W ar 

Attorney General 
Postmaster General 
Secretary of the N avy 
Secretary of the I nterior 

Secretary of A griculture 
Secretary of Commerce 
Secretary of Labor 

Keep acquainted with our new saint. Some Americans Know noth¬ 
ing about him. 

Mr. Vavouris. “Did you invent this new saint ?’’ 

The Teacher. “I found him in a school room and have remem¬ 
bered something since that I could never remember before. ” 


GOVERNMENT 


49 


JUST AN EVERY DAY TALK WITH THE MEN OF THE CLASS. THIS TIME ON 

GOVERNMENT. 

One of the points upon which the naturalization law is particular is 
that the applicant for citizenship must hold a belief in org'anized gov¬ 
ernment. An anarchist is held to be a destroyer, a firebrand, a danger. 
Even a bad government is better than n^ne. There are three Kinds of 
government in the world—absolute monarchy, in which the ruler maKes, 
interprets and enforces the laws; the limited monarchy, in which the 
ruler is helped to govern by a representative body, and a democracy, 
a government in which the people rule. The United States is a de¬ 
mocracy. In form its government is a republic, the people ruling 
through representatives elected by them. The powers and limitations 
of our state and national governments are laid down in the Constitution 
which also divides the United States government into three branches— 
the legislative which maKes the laws, the executive which enforces 
the laws and the judicial which tests, explains and applies the laws. 

We also live under the state government of Iowa which is made up 
of the same three branches—legislative, executive and judicial. We 
also are citizens of Davenport, and in the city government we find all 
three branches again-legislative, executive and judicial. We are also 
citizens of Scott county. Mere the officials seem to belong to the execu¬ 
tive branch of the state government and are engaged in carrying out 
state laws, with the exception of the ClerK of the District Court whose 
duties place him in the judicial department. The Sheriff might also be 
listed there. We also live in a township and in a school district. The 
city and school district have elections on days other than the day of 
the General election. V/e are going to learn about this system of gov¬ 
ernment which seems to have wheels within wheels. Don’t be dis¬ 
couraged. It looKs liKe a good deal to learn, but we have time to learn 
it and we will. If you live here when you become a citizen, you will 
be an American, an Iowan, a citizen of Scott county, a Davenporter, 
a citizen of the Township of the City of Davenport, Iowa, and the In¬ 
dependent School district of Davenport. Each of these conditions of 
citizenship has its own list of duties and privileges. 

The national, state and city governments will be taKen up later in 
“ Questions and Answers.” It looKs liKe a good time to talK about the 
county, the township and school district. 

SCOTT COUNTY OFFICIALS. 

Some who have written of government in Iowa have tried to see 
in the county and township organizations the three branches of na¬ 
tional, state and city government—the legislative, executive and ju¬ 
dicial. It sems easier to consider the county officials as belonging to 
the Executive department of the state, although the ClerK and Sheriff 
being officers of the District court might be placed in the Judicial de 
partment. There is no county law-maKing body. The Board of Su¬ 
pervisors maKes no county laws, but simply transacts county business. 


50 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


It is strictly a business board and executive in carrying out the laws. 
There being no county laws to enforce, no county executive is needed. 
Other county officers are the County Attorney who prosecutes law- 
breaKers in the courts, the Sheriff whose chief duty it is to prevent law- 
breaKing, the Auditor who is the booK Keeper of the county, the Treas¬ 
urer who looKs after money, the common job of all treasurers, the Re¬ 
corder who copies valuable papers in booKs to Keep them safe. The 
ClerK of the District court is considered a county official although his 
court is a state court. He looKs after legal matters, also court records 
and issues licenses. The Coroner inquires into the cause of any mys¬ 
terious death. Another curious duty of the Coroner is to arrest the 
Sheriff if he should need that sort of treatment. The Superintendent 
of Schools is at the head of the public schools of the county. He is 
elected by the school boards of the county. The other county officials 
are elected by the people. You will find most of the county officials 
at the court house. 

CITY OF DAVENPORT TOWNSHIP. 

Scott county is divided into 16 townships and each has a corps of 
officials who belong to the Executive department of the state except¬ 
ing the Justices of the Peace who form part of the judicial branch of 
the state government. The Township Trustees looK after township bus¬ 
iness somewhat as the Board of Supervisors looKs after county busi¬ 
ness. There is a Township ClerK who Keeps the records. The Con¬ 
stables are attached to the courts of the Justices of the Peace. The 
next official is an important one although he is in the township list. He 
is the Assessor. We are all interested in him. He fixes the value of 
our property for taxation and the sum we pay for school, city, county 
and state taxes depends upon his judgment. The boundaries of the 
Township of the City of Davenport are the same as the boundaries of 
the city of Davenport. Township officials are elected at the General 
election. 

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 

Those of us who live in the city of Davenport and a few more of us 
who live over the city boundaries but within the district boundaries 
live in a school district Known as the Independent School District of 
Davenport. This school district is organized, as are all others in the 
county, solely to carry on schools. The people of the district select 
seven Directors at the school election which is not held on the same 
day as the General election or the City election. These directors 
maKe up the Board of Education which conducts the business of the 
schools, hiring superintendent, supervisors, teachers, secretary and 
other employes: A great deal of money raised by taxation is wisely 
spent by the directors. They serve without pay. 

To close this chat let me quote from Winthrop Talbot: “ No other 
form of government rests on the fact that there exist human rights that 
are unalienable. In all Republics save ours the will of the majority 
Knows no limit, but Americanism denies that even the will of the ma¬ 
jority may legislate concerning fundamental rights of humanity. ” 


51 



f 

I 

I' 

i' 

9 

I 

MAP OF SCOTT COUNTY 


Showing County andTownshipRoao Systchs 



















































































































































































































































































52 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


SOMETHING THAT MAY BE STUDIED WITH PROFIT AND SHOULD BE UN¬ 
DERSTOOD. NOT MEMORIZED. SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS MIGHT BE 
ASKED A PETITIONER FOR NATURALIZATION BY THE GOVERNMENT 
EXAMINER AT A COURT HEARING, BUTHOW CAN ANYONE GUESS WHAT 
WILL BE ASKED? . 

SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 


HISTORY. 

Q. Why do we honor Christopher Columbus ? A. He discovered 
America in 1492. 

.Q. Who lived here then ? A. American Indians. 

Q. How did America get its name ? A. From Amerigo Vespucii, an 
early visitor who told Europeans about the new land. 

Q. Name a number of nations that planted colonies in the new world. 
A. England, France, Spain, Holland, Sweden, Germany. 

Q. How many colonies fought England in the war of the American 
Revolution? A. Thirteen. 

Q. When did the colonies declare independence ? A. July 4,17 76. 

Q. Why is February 22 a holiday in Iowa and other States ? A. It 
is the birthday of George Washington, the great general of the 
American Revolution and the first President of the United States, 
the richest man in the colonies who served his country well and 
was called “the first in war, first in peace and the first in the hearts 
of his countrymen.” 

Q. When<1101 the colonies tire of their government under the Articles 
of Confederation and adopt the Constitution? A. In 17 87. 

Q. With what nation did the United States fight the second war and 
why? A. With England, because the enemy did not admit our 
right to adopt English citizens and make them Americans. 

Q. When did Mexico go to war with us, and why? A., In 1845 and 
over Texas. 

Q. What brought on the war between the states called the Civil war? 
A. The North and the South disagreed about slavery and the South 
tried to withdraw from the Union. The North compelled the South 
to stay, and the slaves were freed. 

Q. V/ho was President of this country at that time ? A. Abraham 
Lincoln who signed the proclamation which freed the slaves. He 
was assassinated during his second term of office. He is called 
“ The Savior of the Union.” 

Q. What caused the Spanish war in 1898 ? A. The United States 
fought Spain on account of her treatment of the Cubans. 

Q. How did the United States grow from a strip along the Atlantic to 
fill the land from ocean to ocean and to own territory elsewhere ? 
A. This country grew by settlement, by conquest and by purchase. 

GEOGRAPHY. 

Q. How did the United States get its name? A. It was formed by 
sovereign states joining together or uniting to make one country. 

Q. How many states are there now? A. Forty-eight. 

Q. In which one do you live ? A. In Iowa. 

Q. Did Iowa fight in the war of the Revolution ? A. No, at that time 
there were but 13 states. Iowa was the 29th to enter the Union. 


r 


SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 53 


Q. What is the capital of the United States ? A. Washington in the 
District of Columbia. 

Q. 'What is the capital city of Iowa? A Des Moines. 

Q. What is the county seat of Scott county ? A. Davenport. 

Q. Congress meets in the capitol at the capital. Our Iowa legislature 
meets in the capitol at the capital. What is the difference between 
a capital and a capitol ? A. The capital is the city, the capitol, 
the building. 

Q. How many people are there in the United States ? A. About 

100 , 000 , 000 . 

Q. What made America rich? A. The richness of the soil, the coal 

^ and other minerals, oil, forests, waterways for shipping produce, 
climate, water power, railroads, and more than other causes, the 
industry and inventive genius of the people. 

Q. W’nich is the longest river in the country ? A. The Mississippi. 

Q. What is the largest range of mountains? A. RocKy mountains. 

Q. Name the largest four cities? A. NewYorK, Chicago, Philadel¬ 
phia and St. Louis. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Q. Why is government necessary? A. To protect property, life 
and liberty. 

Q. What are the forms of organized government? A. Absolute 
monarchy; where the monarch rules alone; limited monarchy, in 
which the rule of the monarch is changed by a body of represen 
tatives of the people; a deniocracy, where the people rule. The 
United States is a democracy. 

Q. What is the form of government in the country from which you 
came ? A. ( Fill in*) 

Q. What form of democracy is the government of the United States ? 
A. A Republic. 

Q. How do the people rule in a republic? A. Through their chos¬ 
en representatives. 

Q. Name some representative’s the American people elect. A. The 
President, Congressmen, Governor, the Mayor, City Council, etc. 

Q. How are the American people guided and controlled in governing 
themselves? A. By the Constitution. 

Q. What is the Constitution? . A. The fundamental law of the land, 
the foundation law with which all state and national laws, all state 
constitutions and national treaties must agree. 

Q. Can the Constitution be changed ? A. Yes. It has been amend¬ 
ed 17 times. To amend the Constitution the amendment must pass 
both houses of Congress by a two-thirds vote and then be approved 
by three-fourths of the states of the Union. 

Q. Who holds the highest office in this government ? A. The Pres¬ 
ident. 

Q. Who is next in ranK? A. The Vice President. 

Q. Tell some differences between the United States government and 
the government of your native country. A. ( Fill in.) 

Q. How is this government divided by the Constitution ? A. Into 
the legislative, executive and judicial branches; 

The Lcgislatjye Branch, , 

Q. What does the legislative branch do? ’’ A. It maKes the lay/s of 

- -• our country. » - • ' • » • .- 

Q. What is the national legislative branch called ? ^'•' A. Congress. 


I 


54 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


Q. How is Congress made up ? A. Of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives. 

Q. How many United States Senators are there ? A. Two from each 
state, large and small—always two'. They are elected by the direct 
vote of the people. 

Q. How long do they serve? A. Six years. 

Q. Name the two United states Senators from Iowa. A. (Fill in.) 

Q. Who is the presiding officer of the Senate ? A. The Vice Presi¬ 
dent of the United States. He has no vote unless there is a tie— 
unless the votes on any question are equally divided. 

Q. How many members has the House of Representatives at this time? 
A. The number is now 435. 

Q. How many Representatives does Iowa send ? A. Eleven. 

Q. The state of Iowa is divided into eleven districts and from each 
a Representative is sent. In which district is Scott county ? A. 
The Second district. 

Q. By what name are United States Representatives usually called ? 
A. Congressmen. 

Q. Who is our Congressman ? A. ( Fill in.) 

Q. Can you name any men in Davenport who are now or have been 
Congressmen? A. ( Fill in.) 

Q. How many Congressmen do the other states send ? A. That de¬ 

pends upon the population. One Congressman is elected for each 
district of about 200,000 people. 

Q. How long does a Representative hold office ? A. Two years. 

Q. Who is the presiding officer of the House ? A. The Speaker, 

elected by the members. 

Q. How does Congress make laws for the country ? A. After a bill 
has passed both houses and the President signs it, it is a law. If 
the President disapproves the bill, he does not sign it but returns it 
to the house where it started with his veto and reasons for disap¬ 
proving. If the bill then passes both houses by a two-thirds vote 
!t becomes a law over the President’s veto. A bill which has been 
passed by Congress also becomes a law if the President allows it 
to lie upon his desk for ten days if Congress is in session. 

Q. But what if Congress is not in session for ten days after the bill is 
sent to the President ? A. In that case the bill has no value and 
must be passed again; that is, if he does not sign it. 

The Executive Branch. 


Q. 

Q. 

Q. 

Q. 

Q. 

Q. 

Q. 


What does the Constitution make the duty of the Executive branch? 
A. To see that the laws are enforced. 

Who is the chief executive of the United States? A The Pres¬ 
ident. 


Who elects the President and how long does he serve? A The 
President is elected for four years by a number of electors who 
are chosen tn each state by the people. The people elect the 
President indirectly. 

How many Presidental electors has each state? A. As many as 

the sum of the number of Senators and Congressmen the state 
sends to Congress. ololc 

How many of these Electors, then, has Iowa? A. Thirteen. 

Who is now the President ? A. ( Fill in.) 

Can the President control the action of Congress ? A No Of 
course his influence is great and he can advise through messages 
and can check the action of Congress through his veto power, but 


SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 


55 


Congress can disregard him while exercising its Constitutional 
power of maKing laws 

Q. What powers has the President ? A. He is given power to en¬ 
force the laws through the courts, through civil officers and the dif¬ 
ferent departments of the government, and if necessary through 
the army and navy of which the Constitution maKes him Com¬ 
mander-in-chief. 

Q. Name some of the duties of the President. A. To send mes¬ 
sages to Congress about the state of the country, to appoint with 
the consent of the Senate ambassadors to other countries, also jus¬ 
tices of the Supreme Court of the United States and other judges, 
some postmasters and the members of his Cabinet. 

Q. Tell something of the Cabinet. A. The President appoints men of 
expert Knowledge to advise him as to his executive worK. The 
term of service is indefinite and they are placed in charge of ten 
departments. They are the Secretaries of (1) State, ( 2 ) the Treas¬ 
ury, ( 3 ) War, also(4)the Attorney General, ( 5 ) the Postmaster 
General, and the Secretaries of ( 6) Navy, ( 7 ) Interior, ( 8 ) Agri¬ 
culture, ( 9) Commerce and (10) Labor. Should the President and 
after him the Vice President be unable to fill the highest office, it 
would be filled by the members of the Cabinet in the order given. 

Q. How is the Vice President elected ? A. In the same manner and 
at the same time as the President. 

Q. Who is now Vice President? A. ( Fill in.) 

Q. Why does the Constitution provide for the office of Vice President? 
A. That there may be a man who is well Known to the people and 
has been elected by them ready to succeed to the presidency if 
it is necessary. 

The Judicial Branch. 

Q. What duties are given to the Judicial Branch of our government ? 
A. First, to test any law and see if it agrees with the Constitution. 
If it agrees, it is a good law; if it does not, it is held to be of no force 
or worth. Another duty is that of interpreting any law, explaining 
it, giving its meaning. The third duty is to apply the law, or to put 
it in action in particular cases which come before the courts. By 
this third duty laid upon the Judicial Department by the Constitu¬ 
tion every law on the statute booKs is made a living, active force 
for punishment and protection. 

Q. Which is the highest court in the United States ? A. It is the 
United States Supreme court, the final interpreter of all laws. 

Q. Where does the Supreme court meet ? A. In Washington. 

Q. How many justices are there ? A. One chief justice and eight 
associate justices. 

Q. How long do they serve ? A. They are appointed by the Presi¬ 
dent to serve during good behavior, which means for life. 

Q. Name two other United States courts. A. Circuit courts and Dis 
trict courts. There are many District courts. 

Q. Does any United States or Federal court hold its sessions in Daven¬ 
port? A. Yes, a District court does. 

IOWA STATE GOVERNMENT. 

Q. Has Iowa a constitution? A. Iowa has. 

Q. How is the state government divided by the state constitution ? 
A. Into Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches. 

Q. What is the law maKing body of Iowa, the legislative branch? 
A. The Iowa General Assembly usually called the Legislature. 

Q. Where does the Legislature meet? A. At the state capital, the 


56 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


city of Des Moines. 

Q. Of what does the Legislature consist? A. Two houses named 
like the houses of Congress, the Senate and House of Repre¬ 
sentatives. r 

Q. How many members are sent to each house by the votes of the 
people of Iowa? A. Fifty in the Senate and 108 in the House. 

Q. How are the districts made for representation ? A. Each of the 
99 counties elects at least one Representative and the nine extra 
Representatives which make the full count, 108, are sent by the 
more populous counties. 

Q. How many members of the Legislature does Scott county send? 
A. We have one Senator and two Representatives. 

Q. Name the Senator from Scott county. A. ( Fill in. ) 

Q. Name the two Representatives from Scott county. A. ( Fill in.) 

Q. How long do members of the Iowa Legislature serve ? A. Sena¬ 
tors are elected for four years and Representatives for two years. 

Q. Who is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives? 
A. The Speaker, elected by the members of the House. 

Q. How are our state laws made ? A. In almost exactly the same 
way as the national laws. The Governor has veto power. Laws 
may be reconsidered and passed over a veto as in Congress. 

Q. Name the chief executive of Iowa. A. The Governor. 

Q. Who is now the Governor of Iowa? A. ( Fill in.) 

Q. What office is next in rank? A. That of Lieutenant Governor. 

Q. Tell of his duties. A. They are like those of the Vice President 
in the national government He presides over the Senate and suc¬ 
ceeds to the next higher office if the elected Governor is unable to 
serve. 

Q. Name some other state officers in the Executive Department. 
A. Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, State 
Board of Control, State Board of Education and other boards and 
commisions. Not all are elected. Some are appointed. 

Q. Which is the highest court in the Iowa State Judicial Department? 
A. The Iowa Supreme court made up of seven judges elected by 
the people for a term of six years. 

Q. What are its duties ? A. Very much like those of the United 
States Supreme court except that this court passes on the con¬ 
stitutionality of Iowa laws and decides appeals from Iowa courts. 

Q. What state courts come next in rank? A. The District courts. 
There are 21 districts in Iowa presided over by 59 judges elected 
by the people for four years. 

Q. Tell about the judicial district we live in. A. It is composed of 
Scott, Muscatine, Jackson and Clinton counties and has five judges. 

Q. Why should aliens have an especial interest in the District court ? 
A. It is in this court that their wrongs are made right and here 
they receive citizenship through naturalization. 

Q. Tell of other state courts. A. Some Iowa cities have Superior 
courts. Davenport people have never felt that they needed a Su¬ 
perior court. Other state courts are the courts of the Justices of 
the Peace. Most townships have two Justice courts, as they are 
called. Our township has three, because the Police Magistrate in 
addition to trying those who break city ordinances in the city Po¬ 
lice court also tries those who break state laws as a Justice of the 
Peace of the township. 

Q. What sort of cases come before the Justices of the Peace ? A. 
The cases which interest most people—suits to collect money and 
cases where the money value of the matter in question is not large. 


THE CdURT HEARING 


57 


and milder crimes. Justices of the Peace bind over serious crimi¬ 
nals to the District court. They may act for the Coroner if he so 
desires. 

Q. Where is the District court held in Scott county ? A. At the 
court house in Davenport. » 

CITY GOVERNMENT. 

Q. Into what three branches does Davenport’s special charter divide 
the city government? A. The Legislative, Executive and Judi¬ 
cial branches. 

Q. What is the law-maKing body ? A. The City Council. 

Q. What are the city laws called ? A. Ordinances. 

Q. How many members has the Council? A. Each of the six 
wards of Davenport elects one Alderman and the whole city elects 
two more. There are eight Aldermen. 

Q. Who is the chief executive of the City? A. The Mayor. 

Q. Name the Mayor of the City of Davenport. A. (Fill in.) 

’'Q. Name some other officers of the City Executive Department. A. 
City ClerK, Marshal and Chief of Police,-City Treasurer, City Attor¬ 
ney, Board of Public WorKs, Library Board, ParK Comission, Police 
and Fire Commission, City Levee Improvement Board, Board of 
Health, City Electrician, City Building Inspector, and various other 
appointive officers. 

Q. Where do the city officers have their offices and where does the 
City Council meet? A. In the City hall, corner of Fourth and 
Harrison streets. 

Q. What is the judicial department of the city? A. The court of 
the Police Magistrate where those who breaK city ordinances are 
tried. The Mayor has power to hold court and try offenders. 

Q. When are the city officers elected? A. At the City election. 

BOILING IT DOWN. 

Before we leave this part of the little booK we are maKing, let us 
looK at the subject of the three branches of government from a 
different angle. '^The plan of government is the same in nation, state 
and city. It might be well to connect up the facts we have learned 
in this way: 

Q. Name the Executive Department of nation, state and city. A. 

President, Governor and Mayor. All are helped by other officers. 

Q. 'Name the Legislative Department or Branch in nation, state and city. 

A. Congress, General Assembly or Legislature and City Council. 

Q. Name the Judicial Department in nation, state and city. A. The 
United States Supreme court and other courts, the Iowa Supreme 
court and other courts, the Police court. 


THIS CHAT IS WITH THE MEN READY FOR 

THE COURT HEARING. 


Quite a number of men in this class are ready for the next step in 
gaining citizenship and a very important one, the court hearing. You 
have filed all of your papers. Your witnesses are ready. Now you are 
waiting for the notice from your helpful friend in the ClerK’s office to 


58 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


come into court for examination before the Judge as to fitness for citi¬ 
zenship by the Examiner who represents the United States govern¬ 
ment. There is but one thing left for you to do -v/hen you are notified 
by the ClerK when to come into court you must tell your two witnesses 
of the day and hour they alsowiilbe needed. When this is done, if you 
feel that your moral character is all right, that your sufficient residence 
is capable of proof, and that you have made as good preparation as 
you could for questions on America, if you thinK also that your wit¬ 
nesses will not fail you, there is nothing to worry about. In the court 
hearing you will not be made to feel that you do not belong in this 
country or that you are not welcome here. You will not be trapped by 
any unusual or unfair questions about this government. 

Be at the court room in the court house on time and remind your 
witnesses to be on hand if you fear they^may forget. Dress neatly to 
come into court. Be careful not to breaK the good order of the court 
room by talKing or other unnecessary noise. Go forward with your 
witnesses when your name is called. Do not act as if you were going 
to be hung. Be friendly and show it. Do not try to tell the examiner 
all you have learned in this class. He will like it better if you try to 
answer his questions and then stop. If you do not know the answer, 
say so. You will be given more than one chance to show your know¬ 
ledge. 

Your witnesses will give proof, one after the other, of your resi¬ 
dence and moral character and swear that you are attached to the 
principles of the Constitution. If these witnesses present cannot 
swear to your full five years of residence in this country, the deposi¬ 
tions you have secured from absent witnesses will be presented. Next 
you will probably be asked to answer a few questions as to the govern¬ 
ment of this country and about the Constitution of the United States. 
You will then go over some of the ground you covered in your petition 
for naturalization. You must know the English language fairly well. 
You must show the Judge and the Examiner that you have been a good 
resident and will be a good citizen, that you are neither anarchist nor 
polygamist, that you are taking good care of your family and are look¬ 
ing after the schooling of your children, that you are trying to become 
an intelligent citizen, that you intend to make this land your home. 
There should be some ground shown for theloyalty which you claimed 
in your petition for naturalization. You renounce allegiance to all for¬ 
eign powers and pledge your support and defence of the Constitution 
of the United States and promise to obey the laws of this country. If 
you have borne any hereditary title of nobility, now is the time to re¬ 
nounce it. The Court will at this time acton your request for a change 
of name if you have taken the matter up with the Clerk long enough 
before this day. 

If all goes well at this court hearing, if you are judged to have rec- "S 
ommended yourself by your answers to the questions put to you, and 
the testimony of your witnesses has served to assure the Judge and 
Examiner of your fitness, you will nov7 be given the oath of allegiance 
and be accepted as a Citizen and will be placed on an equality with 


THE SECOND PAPER 


59 


native bom citizens of the United States except that you are not in 
line for the presidency. Do not lose sleep over that exception. 

Either at this visit to the court house or at another time you will be 
handed your certificate of naturalization, usually called the second 
paper. Some Americans who are interested in Americanization are 
greatly pleased to see that in some communities this handing of certifi¬ 
cates of citizenship to New Americans is made an occasion befitting 
the conferring of such a priceless and gracious gift, A program of pa¬ 
triotism is easily arranged. Some words of welcome and response are 
mingled with songs of our country. Each of the newly naturalized re¬ 
ceives from the Judge or other court officer the paper which means 
the winning of his heart’s desire, the patent of his strong achievement. 
Each man whom America has honored with the gift of citizenship 
should be made to feel just at this time that the great republic needs 
him, welcomes him and is glad that he cams. Why should we not be 
cordial to the lately landed? Every American, outside the red ones, 
is an immigrant or the son of an immigrant. 

A SMALL CHAT WITH THE NEW CITIZENS WHO HAVE TAKEN THE OATH 
OF ALLEGIANCE ABOUT 

THE SECOND PAPER. 

When you had taken the oath of allegiance at the court hearing 
and the Judge had given the order that the Clerk issue to you the Cer¬ 
tificate of Naturalization, the Clerk wrote out and handed to you the 
paper which ended your struggle for American citizenship. It is 
called on the court record the “ Certificate of Naturalization.” You and 
I usually call it the second paper. It is an important paper to you and 
you will need it a good many times. You must have it when you regis¬ 
ter for voting. You will need it at other times when it is necessary for 
you to prove your citizenship in business or political matters. 

This very important paper is shorter than some you filled to get it. 
It gives your description so that no one else may use it. There is also 
a list of the names, ages and places of residence of your wife and 
minor children if you are blessed in this way. The government at¬ 
taches strong penalties to any fraud or misuse in connection with this 
and all other papers of naturalization. ^ 

If your Certificate of Naturalization should be lost, a copy may be 
secured from the Clerk of the court where it was issued in the same 
way as a copy of a lost Declaration of Intention is secured. There will^ 
of course, be some cost to pay. And now, let’s shake hands on your 
American citizenship. You have a right to be proud. You have won 
by hard work something of priceless value to your children and to 

your children’s children. \ 

The second paper belongs to you alone and you must never allow 
another person to make use of it under your name. That sort of thing 
brings down upon the offender the wrath of the government. Take a 
look at the blank for the recovery of lost or destroyed papers. There 
are some questions in it that might be hard to answer. 




60 


CHATS WITHPOSSIBLE AMERICANS 




Form 2225 

AFFIDAVIT FOR ISSUING NEAV NATURALIZATION PAPER IN LIEU 

OF ONE LOST OR DESTROYED 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Naturalization Service 

Note. —To be used only for papers issued on and after September 27, 1906. After 
bavins been properly sisned, sealed, and attested, this paper is to be forwarded 
to the clerk of the court out of which the naturalization paper was issued. 


ss: 

..•., beins first duly sworn, 

deposes and on his oath says; , 

That I now reside at.; .; . 

(Street.) (City.) (County.) 

. . ..; that on the.day of., anno Domini, 19. . . . 

(State.) 

the . 

(Give title of court and location by county and State.) 

issued to me declaration of intention No.; that the said natui’ali- 

certificate of naturalization 

zation paper remained in my possession until on or about. 

(Month.) 

. 19. 

(Day.) (Year.) 

That on or about that date. 

(Here give the circumstances as to the place and 


manner of the loss or destruction of the paper, and show what efforts liave" been 
.\. 

made to find it. The words “lost,” “mislaid,” “stolen,”’or “destroyed,” are not'alone 
sufficient.) .. 


(In case of a lost declaration state why it is needed at the present time.) 
That I tiuly believe the paper above mentioned to be beyond recovery. 


(Signature of applicant.) 

Subscribed and .sworn to before me this. dnv nf 

Domini, one thousand nine hundred and, ''' ‘ . 

(SEAL.) . 


, anno 


(Signature of attestor.) 

Commissioner of Naturalization^ 

Washington^ D. C. 

Sir: . • 


This is to certify that I have examined the records of this court and find the 
facts stated in the foregoing affidavit, so far as they relate to the record, to be true; 

(*l‘f not true, strike out the word “true” and show the'facts’accordi’n’g 'to'the 'r’ecord.s 

of the court.) 

furthermore. 

(Here .state whether in your opinion the’paper’shoiil’d’ be’issued.). 


Clerk of the 


Court for 
































THE MISTAKEN ALIEN 


61 




A TIMELY TALK ON AN INTERESTING TOPIC. IT MIGHT BE CALLED 

THE MISTAKEN ALIEN. 

Mr. Koch tells me that he went to the court house to file his peti¬ 
tion for naturalization as a misinformed alien and found that it was 
not an easy matter to g'et citizenship in that way. He says he could 
not answer the questions, although others might be able to do so. We 
have in this county , several men who have thought that they were 
citizens but are not. During the time they were misinformed they 
voted, served on juries and held office, perhaps. Matters of citizenship 
have not been closely scanned by registration and election boards. 
Lately cases of misinformation have come to light. A short cut has 
been pro-vided for mistaKen aliens, but after reading the blanK I am 
handing you I thinK most of you will select the longer and easier road 
and taKe out your first papers right away. 

Mr. MarKovich. “ Before you pass that blanK, please, a minute. 
In a chat some weeKs ago you said that the ClerK of the District Court 
expected some good news for enemy aliens who were allowed to ap¬ 
peal to the government. Has he heard anything ?” 

The Teacher. “The ClerK heard of that matter some days ago and 
I might have told you the news sooner. You will remember that the 
naturalization law lately passed provided that any enemy alien whose 
declaration of intention was dated less than two years prior to the ex¬ 
istence of a state of war with his native land could maKe appeal to 
the President of the United States for the removal of his disabilities 
and permission to apply for naturalization. Definite instruction in this 
matter comes in a paragraph of a letter from the authorities at Wash¬ 
ington to the ClerK. Any enemy alien who declared his intention less 
than two years before the declaration of war with his native land, or 
since that date, should write a letter to The Attorney General, Depart¬ 
ment of Justice, Washington, D. C., setting forth the facts that would 
tend to help that department in investigating the record of the one 
writing that lettter. The writer should state that he desires to secure 
exemption as an alien enemy in order that he may proceed toward 
naturalization under the Act of May 9, 1918. 

“ In writing this letter it is v/ell, I thinK, to go into details. Tell 
where you have been since you came to America, where you have 
worKed and the names of your employers, also the names of two other 
American citizens who could tell of your moral character and fitness 
for citizenship. Tell the ways you are trying to become an American. 
Have you attended night school or factory school? Do you read a news¬ 
paper printed in English ? Do you attend church or public meetings, 
or do you belong to a lodge or union, where English is spoKen ? Do you 
have a card in the Public Library ? Are your children in school ? Do 
you talK English in your family circle? Tell any facts that will show 
you are trying to become an American. Any Red Cross or Liberty 
bonds? Say a good word for yourself. Let me help you write it. ” 


,62 




CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


U. S. DEPARTMENT OP LABOR 
NATURALIZATION SERVICE 

affidavit of petitioner under provisions of section 3, 

ACT JUNE 25, 1910 

This form to he used in every case where a petition for Naturalization is filed y 
under the Act of June 25, TJIO. It is required by section 4 of the Act of 1906, which 
provides in part, ‘*th£it petition sha,ll set forth * * * * every fnct iTmteriRl to 

his naturalization and required to be proved upon the final hearing of his applica¬ 
tion.” 

Two copies should be made, one attached to the petition by the Clerk of the 
Court, and the other forwarded to the Bureau of Naturalization, for filing with the 
duplicate petition. 


In the. 

In the matter of the Petition of 


.Court of. 


To be admitted a citizen of the U. S. 
Petition No. 


The petitioner above named being first duly sworn, on oath, deposes and says; 

’ +. ^ .’ ^ filed a petition for 

of ^ertinn 4 nf tbi ntE Submit this affidavit, under the terms 

?aid petiSon ^ Naturalization Act of 1906, to be filed with and made a part of 

®^C0ND-—On the date indicated immediately below I was informed bv the fol¬ 
lowing named person or persons that I was a citizen of the United sTates ^. ... 


(Date as near as known.) 


Here state the name or names of affiant’s informants, thevr occupation at the 

time and present address if known. If the affiant knew he was not a citizen, but 

believed he could become such without a compliance with hie 'genered re’qiii^ 

... .... 

of the naturalization laws he should state the steps he thought it necessary to 'takd 
and the reason for his impression. 

Third I continued to believe as above indicated until the date shown below 
^roneous^^^^^^ apprised under the following circumstances that my impression was 

(bate.) 


United StatejT-^ exercised the following rights or duties of a citizen of the 

This statement should include dates and all pertinent facts. If the'affiant has 
held public office, served on jury, voted or proved up on public land, all of the par¬ 
ticulars should be set forth. 


[Seal] 


Original Signature of Affiant. 
Subscribed and sworn to before me this.day of. 19 


Clerk of Court. 
































STEPS AND BLANKS USED IN NATURALIZATION 


63 


A SUMMING-UP CHAT WITH THE MEN WHO HAVE GAINED CITIZENSHIP. 
THIS IS A LOOK BACK OVER THE ROAD. THIS CHAT TAKES PLACE AT 
A GET-TOGETHER OF THE SECOND PAPER MEN WHEN EVERYBODY IS 
HAPPY. 


STEPS AND BLANKS IN NATURALIZATION. 


In various chats during' the last few weeKs we have covered the 
several steps that must be taKen to ^ain citizenship. It would be a 
^ood thing for us to go over the ground again, to get the steps together, 
to asK. you to taKe notes and to be more ready than ever before to help 
your friends who are not naturalized. Give them your notes and let 
them checK off their progress, step by step and always know where 
they are on the journey and what the next step will be. Tell them to 
go ahead as fast as the rules will let them. Tell them to keep a good 
acquaintance with the Clerk of the District co'urt. He is their one, 
good friend up to the time of the court hearing, and afterward, too. 

FIRST STEP. ^ ^ 

Who—Any Alien over 18 of White or Black Race. 

When—Any Time after He Lands in America. 

Where—Office of the Clerk of the District Court, at the Court House, 
in Davenport. 

The Alien asks for a blank, 

Facts for Declaration of Intention. 

He pays no money. He takes this blank home and fills it out or 
has some friend do it,for him. 

SECOND STEP. 

Who—The Alien who Got the Blank. 

When—As soon as the Blank is Carefully Filled. 

Where—The Clerk’s Office. 

The alien pays $1.00 to the Clerk who fills out the alien’s first pa 
per and gives it to him. The real name of the paper is 

The Declaration of Intention. 

The alien is now called a declarant. At some time before the de¬ 
clarant is ready to petition for his second paper he should make sure 
by search that he still has his first paper in his home. If by bad luck 
it has been lost or destroyed, he should go at once to the Clerk. If the 
paper was issued in this county, the Clerk will write to Washington for 
him, enclosing a statement of when and how the paper came to be 
missing or destroyed. This blank is called 

Affidavit for Issuing New Naturalization Paper in Lieu of 
One Lost or Destroyed. 

If the first paper was not issued in Davenport, the affidavit, written 
in and sworn to before some officer who can administer an oath, then 
properly signed and sealed, is forwarded to the office of the Clerk who 
issued the paper. That Clerk will then write to Washington about the 
matter. Naturally there will be fees to pay for ali Hhis trouble. When 


y 



64 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


/ 


the government is satisfied that the declarant who says he lost his 
first paper is entitled to another, the ClerK of the court where the miss¬ 
ing paper was written will be notified by the government to issue 
a copy. This copy may be used to complete the process of naturali¬ 
zation. When the Clerk at Davenport has this paper in hand, he will 
notify the declarant that everything is ready for him to go on. The de¬ 
clarant who lost his first paper is now as well off as the declarant who 
did not. they are both ready for the 

THIRD STEP. 

Who—The Declarant. 

When—Two Years after the Date of First Paper and not More than 
Seven Years. Declarant Will Have Been in this Country Five 
Years and in This State One Year. 

Where—The Clerk’s Office. 

The declarant takes with him his first paper, original or copy. He 
asks for a blank. 

Request for Certificate of Arrival. 

To this is attached a detailed statement of facts. This whole blank 
must be carefully filled and mailed with the Declaration of Intention 
to the Commissioner of Naturalization, U. S. Department of Labor, at 
Washington, D. C. When the request has been considered at Washing¬ 
ton and everything looks right, the declarant receives notice from that 
city that the papers have been mailed to the Clerk at Davenport. He 
now takes the 

FOURTH STEP. 

Who—The Declarant and Two Witnesses. 

When—After Notice from Washington. 

Where—The Clerk’s Office. 

The declarant taking with him $4.00 to be paid'to the Clerk for 
feds goes to the court house with his two witnesses. He finds his first 
paper, the statement of facts he signed and a paper he has not seen. 

The Certificate of Landing. 

These are ready to attach to the Petition for Naturalization and 
become a part thereof. The declarant, after this to be known as “ the 
petitioner,” signs the petition which the Clerk fills in for him. This pa¬ 
per is called 

Petition for Naturalization. 

Each of the witnesses must fill in • a blank and leave it with the 
Clerk. This blank is called 

Affidavit of Witness to Petition. 

In case the two witnesses present cannot cover the full five years 
of residence in this country, the time lacking in their affidavits must be 
covered by witnesses living elsewhere. This testimony can be secured 
by the Clerk at some cost in fees. For this purpose he uses blanks 
that may be called 

Depositions of Absent Witnesses to Prove Residence in Some 
Other State. 


I 



STEPS AND BLANKS USED IN NATURALIZATION 


65 


These must be filled, sworn to, and in the hands of the ClerK in 
plenty of time for full examination before the next step in gaining citi¬ 
zenship, the Court Hearing. 

Before the court hearing the petitioner must looK up his witnesses 
and be sure that they will be on hand. If either or both cannot be 
present in court on that day, the petitioner must arrange with the 
ClerK for substitute witnesses. If witnesses refuse to come into court, 
they can be compelled to do so, although that might cost the petitioner 
witness fees. The ClerK must be consulted long enough beforehand 
for him to have a court paper made and served on each witness who 
will not come. This paper is called 

A Subpoena. 

All is now ready for the 

FIFTH STEP. 

Who—The Petitioner and Two Witnesses. 

When—On the Day Notified to Come. It will not be Sooner than 

' 90 Days from the Date of Filing the Petition. 

Where —Court Room of the District Court. 

A session of the District court, a Judge presiding. The United 
States Examiner is present to question the petitioners. The witnesses 
give their testimony. If the petitioner is found to be worthy, ready 
and fit for citizenship, he taKes the oath of allegiance. He renounces 
any title of nobility he may have inherited. His name is changed, per¬ 
haps. He is told by the ClerK when his second paper will be ready. 

SIXTH, AND LAST, STEP. 

Who—The New Citizen. 

When- At the Date Named by the ClerK. 

Where—The Place is also Decided by the ClerK. 

As the last step in the process of naturalization the newly wel¬ 
comed citizen receives from the ClerK his 

Certificate of Naturalization. 

This is the precious document that is usually called the second 
paper. The man who was first an alien, then an alien-declarant, next 
an alien petitioner, is now 

AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. 

The government laws of naturalization vary the process of gaining 
citizenship. Some of the men who travel a road differing from the one 
we have just looKed over and how the process differs for them have 
been spoKen of in other chats. There are special provisions, you will 
remember, for all who are serving or have served in any branch of mil¬ 
itary or naval forces of the United States, for those who have served 
on government; or merchant or fishing vessels of this country, for those 
formerly American serving in the armies of the allies, for enemy 
aliens, for widows and children of declarants, and for those men who 
thought they were citizens but are not and never have been. 

Men who reached this country before June 29, 1906, are not re¬ 
quired to furnish a “ Certificate of Landing” in getting ready for the 


66 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


“Petition for Naturalization.” They are asKed, however, to fill in a 
blanK, ” Facts for Petition, ” with the same sort of information that the 
man who arrived later furnishes in maKing his request for his ” Certifi¬ 
cate of Landing'.” 

The Teacher. ” Anything farther, today ? ” 

Mr. Leonato. “ I have a friend visiting here today who was just 
made a citizen in New YorK. He says they had another blanK called 
a ‘ Certificate of Filing.’ He has his blanK with him.” 

The Teacher. ” Such a blanK is used in some eastern courts. It is 
a receipt card given a petitioner after he has signed and handed to the 
ClerK his ‘ Petition for Naturalization.’ It is not a blanK furnished by 
the government to courts of naturalization for use, but it looKs liKe a 
good thing, just the same.” 

AN INFORMAL TALK AT ONE OF THE ANNUAL RECEPTIONS TO NEWLY 
WELCOMED AMERICANS AT FRIENDLY HOUSE. THE SUBJECT BEING 


LOYALTY. 


During the process of naturalization through which you men gained 
your American citizenship you were asKed to pay great attention to 
the fact that you were transferring your loyalty from some old world 
country to the United States. In taKing out your first paper you prom¬ 
ised to do this. In the petition for naturalization you again expressed 
this intention. In the oath of allegiance in the court hearing you broKe 
all bonds which bound you to your former home land, and turning 
your face toward your future in Arnerica, to America you pledged your 
love and service. The true allegiance you have sworn admits no eva¬ 
sion, no division. It is impossible that you should forget the land of your 
birth. It is unnecessary that you should feel for that land anything but 
love. If you have been loyal to the land of your birth, it argues well 
for true affection and steadfast cleaving to the land of your adoption. 
If you will learn of America, the devotion and pride we call loyalty 
will follow. You should so live that no man will have ground for charg¬ 
ing you with alienism in heart and conduct. There never should be 
anything but whole-souled, warm-hearted surrender of your love to 
the country you have chosen and which has welcomed you to citizen¬ 
ship. American citizenship means brotherhood and the thought for 
others. President Wilson has written, “ Loyalty which is merely self¬ 
pleasing is only selfishness. No man has ever risen to the reel stature 
of spiritual manhood until he has found that it is finer to serve some¬ 
body else than it is to serve himself. ” 

We are proud that America as a democracy, taKing her place among 
the nations of the world has influenced the lives of all who live under 
autocratic governments. We are very proud of our country, which is 
yours. We believe America is the free-est land in the world. There 
are other good governments and other good places to live, but Amer¬ 
ica has claims to the pride and devotion of her citizens that surpass 


/ 


LOYALTY 


67 


the claims of other lands. We are proud of our country’s history. We 
are proud of the g'reat men in every walK in life who have been Amer¬ 
icans. We are proud of American ideals. All men might not maKe 
from the treasury of national ideals the same selection of those to be 
considered distinctively American, but Charles W. Eliot has compiled 
them with rare judgment. But before we quote him let us listen again 
to President Wilson, “No nation can live without vision, and no vision 
will exalt a nation except the vision of real liberty and real justice and 
purity of conduct.” 

Now for Dr. Eliot’s words on American citizenship and ideals: “The 
American citizen loves—that is, he has a passionate devotion for lib 
erty, personal, religious and political. He rejects government by a 
class, whether small or large, and governors by divine grace, and be¬ 
lieves in government by the people. He desires justice in all the rela¬ 
tions of human society and neither asKs nor grants privileges. He is 
tolerant of opinions unliKe his own and submits in practice to the 
opinion or wish of the majority. He believes that the liberty of the in¬ 
dividual should be exercised under the restraints of established law, 
the embodiment of common morality and common sense. He believes 
that the roots of the free state are in the family and in universM edu¬ 
cation. These are the American ideals. Immigrants are assimilated 
as fast and as far as they accept them. ” 

You will notice that the principles of the Constitution to which you 
made oath of attachment are founded closely on these American ideals. 

In helping to give you a welcome to American citizenship this 
evening it seems best to cease from any efforts to tell you of our out¬ 
stretched hands when the words of the chief citizen of the United 
States can be quoted. On an occasion liKe this in Philadelphia, May 
10, 1915, President Wilson spoKe to several thousand newly naturalized 
citizens. His words are meant for you and all men liKe you who have 
achieved citizenship by merit and by longing. Imagine that you hear 
the President speaKing while his words are being read: 

“You have taKen an oath of allegiance to the United States. Of al¬ 
legiance to whom ? Of allegiance to no one, unless it be to God. Cer¬ 
tainly not of allegiance to those who temporarily represent this great 
Government. You have taKen an oath of allegiance to a great ideal, to 
a great body of principles, to a great hope of the human race. You 
have said, ‘ We are going to America,’ not only to earn a living not 
only to seeK the things it was more difficult to obtain where you were 
born, but to help forward the great enterprises of the human spirit— 
to let men Know that everywhere in the world there are men who will 
strange oceans and so \vhere a speech is spoKen that is alien to 
them. Knowing that, whatever the speech, there is but one longing and 
utterance in the human heart, and that is for liberty and justice. 

“ And while you bring all countries with you, you come with a 
purpose of leaving all other countries behind you,-bringing what is 
best of their spirit, but not looKing over your shoulders and seeKing to 
perpetuate what you intended to leave in them. I certainly would 
not be one even to suggest that a man cease to love the home of his 


68 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


birth and ths nation of his origin—these thing's are very sacred and 
oug'ht not to be put out of our hearts; but it is one thing' to love the 
place where you were born and it is another thing to dedicate your¬ 
self to the place to which you go. You cannot dedicate yourself to 
America unless you become in every respect and with every purpose 
of your will a thorough American. It is a very interesting circumstance 
to me, in thinKing of those of you who have just aworn allegiance to 
this great government, that you were drawn across the ocean by some 
becKoning finger of hope, by some belief, by some vision of a new 
Kind of justice, by some expectation of a better Kind of life. 

“ No doubt you have been disappointed in some of us; some of us 
are very disappointing. No doubt that you have found that justice in 
the United States goes only with a pure heart and a right purpose, as 
it does everywhere else in the world. No doubt what you found 
here didn’t seem touched for you, after all, with the complete beauty 
of the ideal which you had conceived beforehand. 

“ But remember this, if we are grown at all poor in the ideal, you 
brought some of it with you. A man does not go out to seeK the thing 
that is not in him. A man does not hope for the thing that he does not 
believe in, and if some of us have forgotten what America believed in, 
you, at any rate, imported in your own hearts a renewal of that belief. 
That is the reason that I, for one, maKe you welcome. 

“ So if you come into this great nation as you have come, volun¬ 
tarily seeKing something that we have to give, all that we have to 
give is this; We cannot exempt you from worK. No man is exempt 
from worK anywhere in the world. I sometimes thinK he is fortunate 
if he has to worK only with his hands and not with his head. It is very 
easy to do what other people give you to do but it is very difficult to 
give other people things to do. We cannot exempt you from worK; we 
cannot exempt you from the strife and the heart breaKing burden of 
the struggle of the day~that is common to manKind everywhere. We 
cannot exempt you from the loads that you must carry; we can only 
maKe them light by the spirit in which they are carried. That is the 
spirit of hope, it is the spirit of liberty, it is the spirit of justice.” 

A FEW WORDS AT A FRIENDLY HOUSE RECEPTION TO NEWLY NATURAL¬ 
IZED MEN JUST BEFORE IT WAS TIME TO SING 

A PATRIOTIC SONG. 


America has become a great country through the mingling of the 
blood of the nations of the earth. Men and women from edl countries 
have helped to place America in the leadership of the nations by liK- 
ing each other and living together. This is the country of the ambi¬ 
tious people from all lands and of this country they would sing in self 
dedication. When American people want to sing a patriotic sonf<, they 
usually sing “ America.” The words of that song were written by a 
man who either did not Know about immigrants or forgot to tell in the 
song of the great part immigrants have taKen in building America. 


A NEW AMERICAN’S CLUB 


69 


We will sing this evening of an America broader in conception 
than the America of the Smith poem, a greater America, surely, an 
America that any native-born may revere and sing his admiration for 
with hand clasped in the hand of another sort of American, an Ameri¬ 
can in aspirations and ideals, American in all save the accident of 
birth. Now we will read the words thrown on the screen and sing of 


A NEW AMERICA. 

A PATRIOTIC SONG THAT AMERICANS^ WHEREVER BORN^ MAY SING 


1. Our fathers’ God, to Thee, 
Author of liberty, 

In every clime. 

May we all brothers be 
In this, our country free, 
Makers of unity, 

In this, our time. 

2. New land, of thee we sing. 

Our hearts, our hands we bring, 
Thee let us serve. 

Let us the cities rear, 

And without slavish fear. 

Build here a nation dear 
In Freedom’s name. 


3. Let music swell the breeze. 
And ring from all the trees 
Sweet freedom’s song. 

Let mortal tongues awake. 
Let all that breathe partake. 
Let rocks their silence break. 
The sound prolong. 

4. Our fathers’ God, to Thee, 
Author of Liberty, 

To Thee we sing; 

Long may our land be bright 
With freedom’s holy light. 
Protect us by Thy might. 
Great God, our king. 


There is a future looK in this verse that Miss Mary McDowell has 
written, the forward looK, and brotherhood, freedom, toil and aspiration, 
optimism, trust in God from whom comes liberty in every land. 

In this land where every third man is an actual immigrant or the 
son of an immigrant it would seem as if Americans of inherited citi¬ 
zenship have been lacKing in courtesy in insisting that Americans 
through choice should voice their patriotism in words which for them 
can have neither dedication nor devotion. When a New American 
sings, “My Native Country, Thee,”and “Land where My Fathers Died.'* 
he pays tribute to a country to which he renounced allegiance when 
he became an American. 


ACHAT AT A SUPPER GIVEN THE YEAR’S COMPANY OF NEW AMERICANS 
AT FRIENDLY HOUSE BY THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ON 

A NEW AMERICAN’S CEUB. 


It has long been the opinion of the Friendly House folKs that there 
is room in Davenport for one more club. It does not need to have an 
especial home, a written constitution, a long list of officers or even 
monthly dues. It needs to have only enoug h formality to hold together 
any number of people interested in helping bewildered immigrants 
who need the help in Davenport which is given in larger cities to 
such people. The membership of such a club would naturally come 
for the greater part from men and women who have lately been natu¬ 
ralized and have not forgotten the discomforts and uncertainties bl 
their first years in a strange land. 


70 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


Such a club could help the unemployed in the matter of finding' 
jobs, when there are jobs, and save them, perhaps, from exploiting' pa- 
drones. Such a club could provide competent advice on matters of 
business to immig'rants, arrang'e for their defence in the courts, encour¬ 
age the use of public schools and public libraries and g'ive information 
as to the social and philanthropic organizations of the city that would 
help aliens if called upon. Such a club could find a fine field in en¬ 
couraging aliens to become American citizens and in helping to insure 
correctness in naturalization papers. Many aliens need to be pro¬ 
tected, and may be protected, if their confidence can be won by some 
club of the right sort, from the harpoons of men of their own nation¬ 
ality who sometimes extort money for unnecessary services or pre¬ 
tended services. 

The need of such a club is not as great in Davenport as it is in 
larger places where there are more immig'rants and where people are 
on salary who care for the strangers in our land, but there is a steady 
need in Davenport for an organization that could invite confidence and 
would be free from the suspicion of selfish motives. The hospitality 
of Friendly House is extended to such a club, if when it is formed, the 
members should care to meet here. The aid of one of the leading 
firms of lawyers in this city has been promised in matters where a 
Knowledge of law is needed. 


THE CLASS IN CIVICS AND THEIR FRIENDS COME TOGETHER IN A SMOKER 
AND AMONG OTHER THINGS HEAR ABOUT 


OUR HOME TOWN. 


Davenport i.s a good place to live. Here the newly arrived alien 
has always found a job, the one thing in this new land he must have. 
Davenport is one of a group of cities which, as far as employment goes, 
is one big town. There are jobs in Davenport and in RocK Island, Mo¬ 
line, Bettendorf, East Moline, in Silvis and Nahant. The newly arrived 
man must be contented to do the hardest worK in any part of our 
group of towns until he learns the language. Men from his own coun¬ 
try usually find worK for him. I am told that some of these pretended 
friends treat the new men badly by maKing them give up a good part 
of their wages for finding worK that the new men could find for them¬ 
selves if they should follow men who go to worK and asK for it them- 
, selves. Then there are the employment agents who only asK one fee 
and that is the end of that. A very fine place for you to get accjuainted 
is the employment bureau at the court house. This bureau is carried 
on by the United States government and the State of Iowa. Here all 
who apply are helped to find the best class of worK for which they are 
fitted, and no charge is made. The newly arrived alien is apt to thinK 
. about taKing out his first paper when he finds that some good jobs are 
open to citizens only. 


OUR HOME TOWN 


71 


If you have lately come, and have a trade, you will probably 
want to gain the help of a union. The labor unions of the Tri-cities 
admit aliens. 

Let me advise you to find the church to which you belonged in the 
old country or one liKe it and maRe yourself known to priest cr min¬ 
ister in charge. A man should not lose his religion by coming to this 
new land, and the members of your church will be friendly to you. 

Davenport has fine schools—public schools, private schools, church 
schools. See that your little children are in the kindergarten and the 
graded public schools, unless your religion would send them to the 
church school. The children learn how to live in America and will tell 
their parents. .You ought to go to the evening school at the High 
School building and learn English. The teachers are fine people and 
will not keep you so late at night that you cannot get enough sleep 
after your hard day’s work. 

Get acquainted in the public library. It is a beautiful building, but 
it is not too fine for you, for the library belongs to the people and you 
are one of the people. You will be made welcome and you will find 
books and papers, perhaps some in your own language. There is a 
room, warm and light, where you can sit and read or learn of this coun¬ 
try through pictures. There is a special room for children. Take your 
children there to get acquainted. There may be a smaller library near 
your home where you can get books. The branch libraries are at 
Friendly House, Third and Taylor streets, at Gimbel’s drug store, 2046 
West Third street, at the Independent Baking Company’s plant, 2411 
Rockingham road and at Jackson and Grant schools. There is also a 
reading room at Friendly House. At all of these you and your family 
may get books free. 

There are many lodges and societies in Davenport, you will prob¬ 
ably want to join one so that you can meet your friends when not at 
school in the evening. 

There are two social centers in Davenport and there will be more 
of them. There is the West Side Settlement on Western avenue be¬ 
tween Second and Third streets and a settlement called Friendly 
House at Third and Taylor streets. At these centers your family will 
find many things they will like and which will help them become good 
citizens. There are clubs and classes. Sewing, dressmaking, cooking, 
canning, dancing, gymnastics, hand work and other things are taught. 
There is a small charge or no charge for this help. The Lend-a-Hand, 
Young Women’s Christian Association and the Young Men’s Christian 
Association are all planning to help you in every way that may open. 

Davenport furnishes every chance for you to care for your money. 
If you wish to send money to your old home, you can do that at any 
bank, or you can go to the postoffice and get an international money 
order. You can send money to a friend in this country by buying a 
draft at a bank or buying a domestic money order at the postoffice. If 
you wish to save money for the time when you will be sick or out of 
work or for the time when you will want to start in business for your¬ 
self, any bank in Davenport is an absolutely safe place to put it. You 
can open a savings account with $1.00. If your children wish to save 


72 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


their pennies until they can get $1.00 and then start a banK account, 
there is a Penny Savings department at the Friendly House. If you 
liKe the Postal Savings better, you can leave your money with the 
government at the postof&ce and draw it out when you want it. Many 
immigrants have lost money in this country by putting their savings 
in private banKs, managed, probably, by men from their own country 
in Europe. Every banK in Davenport is under State control. They are 
safe. Putting money in the banK is a step toward good citizenship. 

If you have sicKness in your family, the doctor will probably send 
for one of the Visiting Nurses who will come into your home and do 
everything to help you taKe the best care of the sicK ones. They 
Know just what should be done, and they will not charge you for their 
help, but you can pay something if you wish. Many people do. If 
your little folKs are not strong and hearty, bring them to the baby wel¬ 
fare clinic the Visiting Nurses hold, with the help of a doctor, every 
Friday afternoon at Friendly House. If you or any of your family have 
indications of tuberculosis, you will be glad to be told of a weeKly 
clinic held at the Visiting Nurses’ cottage. No. 1216 West Third street. 
You will be told the truth about your condition and what to do. At this 
cottage is located The Times MilK Station. If your baby needs better 
milK than you can find, talK with the Visiting Nurses about it. You can 
buy the milK. If you have no money, the milK is free. 

If you want to borrow money, the Morris banK is a good place to 
talK it over. If you cannot borrow when you are out of money and in 
trouble, you can get friendly help and advice at the office of the Ladies’ 
Industrial Relief society. No. 115 West Sixth street. Your little people 
will be cared for at this place during the day if you both have to worK 
until you can get where you can support your wife and family, which 
is, of course, what you want to do. Scott county also helps very poor 
people who are in trouble. Go to the office of the Supervisor of Com¬ 
munity Welfare at the court house. 

Davenport has no free baths or swimming pool, yet. Men can get 
a good tub or shower bath at Friendly House any Saturday afternoon 
or evening for 10 cents. Boys come before 5 o’clocK and pay 5 cents. 

There is a fine free museum at the Academy of Science, Brady and 
Seventh streets, which you will want to visit many times. 

The Davenport Institute, at 2 21 Western avenue, has classes in dif¬ 
ferent subjects. The class which interests you most is held each Sun¬ 
day afternoon at 2 o’clocK for ten or 12 weeKs before each day named 
for naturalization in court. There you and your friends may learn 
of American forms of government and study the Constitution. 

Davenport has three Turner societies that offer training in athlet¬ 
ics. The Young Men’s Christian Association also furnishes instruction 
in gymnastics. 

There are many parKs in Davenport where you can enjoy the 
fresh air with your family. There are birds and animals to see and 
wading pools for the children. In these parKs during the summer there 
are band concerts. 

There are many theaters where you may find amusement. Most 
of them show motion pictures. Friendly House has had for some years 


SOME IOWA LAWS. 


73 


motion pictures, Saturdays, from October 1 to May 1. Grown people 
pay 5 cents, and children pay 1 cent. 

The Mississippi river furnishes chances for recreation through ex¬ 
cursions, trips to other towns and long ferry rides bacK and forth 
from shore to shore. 

The street car service in Davenport is fine and long rides may be 
had for little money on street cars and interurban lines. There are 
pretty parKs with amusements at the ends of the street car lines. 

After talking it over we can close this chat with the sentence we 
began it with — Davenport is a good place to live. 


REALFF OTTESEN, OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, HAS A MIGHTY 
INSTRUCTIVE TALK ON 

SOME IOWA LAWS. 


Mr. Realff Ottesen, Assistant County Attorney, has come with me 
this afternoon and I have asked him to talk to you in my place. He 
will tell you of some of the state laws which you would be likely to 
break unless you knew about them. Before he begins I want to speak 
for a minute about the city ordinances under which Davenport people 
live. I called at the police station and asked the Chief of Police what 
ordinances the foreigners were most apt to break and thus lay them¬ 
selves liable to arrest. It pleased me very much when he told me that 
the immigrants living in Davenport gave the police very little trouble. 
They do not know all of the rules of American living but are anxious 
to learn. Many of them are used to a mild sort of gambling in their 
native lands and see nothing wrong in that. They have to be watched 
to see that they all take out licenses to peddle. They are, at first, 
somewhat careless as to the proper disposal of garbage. In the main 
they make no trouble. If Mr. Ottesen has too many laws to tell you 
about, we will ask him to stop in the middle of his chat and save the 
rest for another week. This is Mr. Ottesen. 

Mr. Ottesen. “Your teacher has asked me to tell you about Iowa 
laws that you are especially interested in. All of the laws of Iowa 
would fill a very large book and I will try to tell only of those that es¬ 
pecially concern you as residents and possible Americans. 

LAWS CONCERNING THE FAMILY. 

“ Marriage. Men over 21 and women over 18 may marry of their 
own free will. If under that age, they must have the consent of their 
parents or legal guardian. Boys under 16 and girls under 14 cannot be 
married at all. Marriages can be performed by the Justice of the 
Peace, the Mayor, a Judge of a recognized Court, or a regularly or¬ 
dained minister of the gospel. But first a license must be secured 
from the Clerk of the Court at the court house, where a witness who 
knows both parties, their age, and that they are single, must take an 
oath to that effect. Any effort to marry without meeting all these re- 


V 


GOLf 


74 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


MAP OF THE UNITED STATES. 
























SOME IOWA LAWS 


75 


quirements may cause serious trouble. No person of any age can be 
made to marry another against his or her will. 

“Divorce. Divorces can only be secured in the civil courts, and 
the services of a competent lawyer are necessary. No Rabbi or other 
church authority can grant a divorce. Neither party to a divorce can 
remarry within a year without the consent of the Court. In trying a 
divorce case the Judge will settle all such questions as the custody 
of the children, division of property and alimony, according to what 
seems right to him after he hears the facts. 

“ Duty to Support. It is a man’s duty to support his wife and 
minor children, and a mother’s duty to support her minor children. If 
a man deserts, or fails to support, his wife or child under 16, or if a wo¬ 
man fails to support her child under 16, or if either parent deserts 
children under 16, that parent can be sent to the penitentiary. Chil 
dren must support their parents if their parents cannot support 
themselves. 

“Husband and Wife. Both the husband and wife have equal 
rights in the home as long as they conduct themselves properly. 
Neither has the right to striKe or abuse the other, and both stand 
equally before the law. Either may purchase the family necessities 
and both are liable for the payment for same. Either may hold prop¬ 
erty independent of the other or maKe contracts, but neither can sell 
real estate unless the other joins in the deed. 

“ Duties of Parents to their Children. If parents do not pro¬ 
vide a home in which children can be Kept clean and away from bad 
influences, the children will be taKen away and the parents may be 
punished. 

“ Duties of Children to their Parents. Minor children must 
obey their parents. Parents are entitled to the earnings of their mi¬ 
nor’ children. A child who continuously disobeys its parents can be 
taKen into the Juvenile court and the Judge will decide what shall 
be done with it. 

“Mother’s Pension. Widows and women whose husbands are 
confined in State institutions may receive a mother’s pension of not to 
exceed $2.00 per weeK for each child under the age of 16 years, 
provided they are proper persons to have the custody of the children 
and actually need the money for the support of the children. This 
pension is granted by the Judge of the District court. 

LAWS CONCERNING CHILDREN. 

“Juvenile Court. All matters relating to children under 16 years 
of age who have broKen any law or who are excessively unruly or are 
not receiving the proper care from their parents are handled in the Ju¬ 
venile court. Cases in this court are handled through the probation 
officer. This Court tries to do what is best for the child, and has the 
power to parole a child to its parents or to some other person,, to put 
the child in some State institution or find people who will adopt it, and ^ 
may punish the parents if they are to blame. 


t 


76 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


“ School Laws. Every child between the a^es of 7 and 16 years 
in proper physical and mental condition must attend school for at 
least 24 weeKs each year beginning the first weeK of school after Sep¬ 
tember 1. But Boards of Education in cities may require attendance 
for the full school year. In the city of Davenport the full school year 
is 40 weeKs, and a child must attend full time unless excused for 
sicKness or other good cause. Parents who allow their children to stay 
out of school without good cause may be punished with a fine. The 
only exceptions to this rule are children who live more than two miles 
from a scho:;! building and no transportation is provided by the School 
Board, children over 14 years who are employed and have completed 
the Eighth grade, and children excused by the Judge of the court. 
Children required by law to go to school need not go to the public 
schools provided they attend another school which provides the same 
education. 

“Child Labor. Children under 14 years of age must not be em¬ 
ployed in a mine, factory, mill, shop, laundry, slaughter or pacKing 
house, store where more than eight people worK, elevator, livery sta¬ 
ble, garage, or in a place of amusement, or as a messenger boy. Nor 
can children under 16 years of age be employed in any of the above 
industries without a worK permit from the Board of Education. In cit¬ 
ies the size of Davenport boys under 11 and girls under 18 cannot be 
employed in any Kind of street worK such as selling papers, and boys 
between 11 and 16 can do such worK only between 4 o’clocK, a. m., and 
7:30 o’clocK, p. m., when school is not in session, and only after se¬ 
curing a worK permit from the Superintendent of Schools. Females 
under 21 years of age must not be employed in any occupation which 
requires them to stand constantly. No person under 16 years of age 
can be employed in any place dangerous to health or morals. Per¬ 
sons under 16 may worK only between / o’clocK, a. m., and 6 o’clocK, 
p. m., with not less than 30 minutes for noon, and must not worK more 
than eight hours a day nor more than 48 hours in a weeK. No person 
under 18 years of age shall worK as messenger boy between 10 o’clocK, 
p. m., and 5 o’clocK, a. m. 

CONCERNING PUBLIC HEALTH. 

“ AdLiltera.tecl Milk. It is against the law to sell adulterated or 
impure milK; that means milK from animals fed on waste or other un¬ 
healthy substance or milK which has less than 11 1-2 per cent milK sol¬ 
ids or 3 per cent butter fat. MilK is sampled from time to time by the 
milK inspector, and if he finds any below standard, the man who is 
selling it will be prosecuted. 

“Impure Food. Selling any food which is in any way spoiled or 
contains any substance w^hich might be unhealthy is a crime whether 
the person selling it Knows its condition or not. 

“ Unsanitary Conditions. Slaughter houses, butcher shops, gro¬ 
cery stores, restaurants, baKeries, delivery wagons, dairies, milK de¬ 
pots and all other places where food is manufactured, sold or handled 
for ctoltvery must be Kept scrupulously clean. All articles of food 


SOME IOWA LAWS 


77 


must be carefully protected from flies. State food inspectors are con¬ 
stantly employed in enforcing this law. 

Oleomargerine. This cannot be sold colored and the outside 
of the pacKage must be marKed “ Oleomargerine,” together with the 
dealer’s name. All dealers must have a government license. All pub¬ 
lic eating places which serve oleomargerine must have a sign on the 
wall in a prominent place, reading, “ Substitute for Butter Used Here.” 

MORTGAGES AND BUYING ON INSTALLMENTS. 

“Chattel Mortgages. A chattel mortgage is a written document' 
by which one pledges any Kind of property except real estate to se¬ 
cure the payment of a debt. Conditional sales, so commonly used 
when goods are sold on installment, are in effect chattel mortgages and 
are subject to the same rules of law. A person signing a chattel mort¬ 
gage or buying goods on conditional sale should examine very care¬ 
fully the document he signs and be sure that he understands all of its 
conditions. Violating any of the terms of the contract or failing to 
maKe payments when due may result in loss of the goods as well as 
any money that may have already been paid on the contract. Any 
person buying goods of any Kind from anyone except a regular dealer 
should examine the records in the office of the County Recorder before 
purchasing. If there is a chattel mortgage or conditional sale or record,* 
the person holding it can taKe the property away from the purchaser. 

IF YOU RENT A HOME. 

“Landlord and Tenant. Except when there is a lease either 
written or oral for a definite period, the tenant holds from month to 
month and is entitled to a 30-days written notice to quit the premises, 
unless he fails to pay his rent when due. The tenant must also give 
his landlord 30 days’ notice if he intends to leave. 

“ Notice to Quit. Any tenant violating the terms of lease or 
failing to pay rent when due can be ousted by the giving of a three- 
days’ written notice to leave the premises. If he fails to quit at the 
end of three days, the landlord must start suit, which requires another 
notice of five days before the tenant can be put out of the premises. 

“ Repairs. The landlord is bound to repair any damage to the 
premises caused by ordinary wear and tear, but damages due to the 
tenant’s negligence or wrongful act must be repaired by the tenant. 

THE JOB AND THE PAY. 

“Garnishment oF Wages. The wages of the head of a family 
cannot be garnished for the payment of a debt unless they had been 
earned more than three months before the time of garnishment, neither 
can the household goods or homestead be taKen for the payment of 
debts A single man has no exemptions except his ordinary wearing 
apparel and all his wages may be taKen for the payment of his debts. 
When, however, the head of a family starts to leave the state, the only 
thing he can hold exempt is the ordinary wearing apparel of himself 
and family and $75.00 worth of additional property. 


78 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


“ Workman’s Compensation. If a man is injured while at worK, 
by any cause arising' out of the course of his employment, he is entitled 
to a fixed compensation under what is known as the “Employer’s Lia¬ 
bility or Workman’s Compensation Act.” Unless the workman’s injury 
is permanent, he is allowed one-half of his wages during the time he 
is unable to work by reason of his injury after the first two weeks. 
He is allowed nothing for the first two weeks unless he is disabled for 
more than 35 days. Permanent injuries or death are provided for ac¬ 
cording to a fixed scale and in proportion to the employe’s wages. 
This scale of charges is too long and complicated to tell you about it 
at length, but most employers have printed copies of the Compensa¬ 
tion Act to furnish their employes upon request. In case employer 
and employe cannot agree on settlement, the employe must write the 
Industrial Commissioner, Des Moines, Iowa, of this fact and he will be 
sent blanks on which to make an application for arbitration. The in¬ 
jured employe’s medical bills, not to exceed $100, are allowed in addi¬ 
tion to the compensation. 

WHISKEY AND THAT SORT OF THING. 

“ Intoxicating Liquors. The sale or keeping for sale of intoxica 
ting liquors is forbidden in Iowa. Any liquor containing alcohol, no 
matter how little, is considered intoxicating. Taking orders for intoxi¬ 
cating liquors or advertising them or transporting them for anybody is 
also forbidden. The United States law makes it a serious crime to 
transport or carry liquor into the State. 

“If intoxicating liquor is sold in a building, the State may in addi¬ 
tion to punishing the seller, get an injunction against the seller, the land¬ 
lord, and the place in which it was sold. The injunction is an order for¬ 
bidding the seller to sell any more liquors anywhere in the State, and 
forbidding the landlord to allow the building to be used for that pur¬ 
pose. Violation of the injunction is contempt of court which is a serious 
offense, carrying a heavy penalty to be inflicted by the Judge without 
a jury trial. The injunction may also provide for the destruction of all 
the furniture in the place, closing the building for one year, and a 
heavy tax. 

GUNS AND KNIVES. 

“Carrying Concealed Weapons. Whoever carries a pistol, 
bowie-knife, dirk, or other dangerous weapon concealed on or about 
his person shall be fined, not more than $500.00 or imprisoned in the 
County jail not more than six months or in the penitentiary not more 
than two years.” 

The Teacher. “ If a man is brought into court for trial, it is consid¬ 
ered no defence at all if he claims ignorance. He is supposed to know. 
A man who knows the law of the land knows his rights and does not 
need to be imposed on. We thank Mr. Ottesen for his valuable help.” 

Mr. Ottesen. “ In some places in this country aliens do not expect 
level, impartial justice when brought to trial, and they suffer causeless 
arrest. Such has never been the case here. I have enjoyed meeting 
you and hope to attend the class again before you become citizens.” 


A BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE PLAN OF OUR GOVERNMENT 


PLAN OF GOVERNMENT 


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80 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


The People 


The People 


Tlie People 


A DIAGRAM OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 


The President 


Executive -{ Cabinet 


Other Civil Officers 


Secretary of State 
Secretary of Treasury 
Secretary of War 
Attorney General 
Postmaster General 
Secretary of the Navy ( 
Secretary of the Interior 
Secretary of Agriculture 
Secretary of Commerce 
Secretary of Labor 


Legislative Congress 


House of Representatives 
Senate 


Judicial U. S. Courts and Judges 


, v. 

A DIAGRAM OF IOWA STATE GOVERNMENT 


Executive 


i 


Legislative 


Judicial 


The Governor and 
Lieutenant Governor. 


Other State Officers 


County Officers 
Township Officers 
Scliool Board 


Secretary of State ‘ 

Auditor of State 
Treasurer of State 
Attorney General 
State Supt. of Public Instruction 
State Board of Control 
State Board of Education 
Railroad Commissioners and 
others 


General Assembly or 
Legislature 

Iowa Courts and Judges 


Senate 

House of Representatives 


V 

DIAGRAM OF DAVENPORT CITY GOVERNMENT 


Executive 


Mayor and Other City 
Officers 


City Clerk 

Marshal and Chief of Police 
City Treasurer 
City Attorney 
Board of Public Works 
Park Commission 
Library Board 
Board of Health 
Police and Fire Commission 
Levee Improvement Board and 
Others 


I.egislative City Council 


Judicial 


Police Court and Police 
Magistrate 
















THE CLOSING LESSON 


81 


THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS CHAT TOGETHER A WHILE THE NEXT TIME 
THEY MEET AFTER THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION ENDING THE TERM. 

the ceosing lesson. 


Teacher. “ Before we separate I want to talK with you about 
the written test we had a weeK ago and also talK over with you each 
of the questions and the answers you gave. It is perhaps fortunate 
that you made some mistaKes, because anyone who remembers his 
school days Knows that we remember a mistaKen answer when any¬ 
thing depended on it much longer than 100 answers that were right 
and made no impression. The average of correctness has been very 
good. Some of you had cards that were almost perfect. If the exami¬ 
ner will only asK you at the court hearing the questions that I have 
asKed you, you will pass his test of preparation with credit. I see 
Stilianos LiKos is here. He has been in our class, but was admitted 
to citizenship in Rock Island last week. What did the government ex¬ 
aminer ask you, Stilianos ? ” 

Mr. Vavouris. “ His name is Steve.” 

The Teacher. “All Greek boys named Stilianos who come to 
America take the name of Steve, I know, but I like his own name bet¬ 
ter. How about it, Stilianos? What did he ask you?” 

Mr. Likos. “ He asked me what my name was and what time it 
was. I told him quick enough, and he said I would make a very good 
American.” 

The Teacher. “That sounds too good to be true.” 

Mr. Schroeder. “1 have been away from Germany for a long time 
and have not been naturalized here. To what country do I belong?” 

The Teacher. I am told that the ordinary period in which a Ger¬ 
man loses his citizenship by continuous absence without renewing 
his citizen papers (without having his ‘Heimatschein’ officially revised) 
is ten years. Germany allows her citizens to retain in some countries 
visited their German citizenship while acquiring a sort of citizenship 
in the country visited. If you have been here more than ten years 
you probably can claim no country as your own.” 

Mr. Brooks. “ In a handbook for immigrants I find the statement 
that no alien will be naturalized if his wife and children are in the old 
country. Is that true?” 

The Teacher. “ There is no law covering this condition, but you 
will remember that the Courts are given the duty of judging as to an 
applicant’s character and his fitness for citizenship. The Courts gen¬ 
erally throughout the United States have declined to admit aliens to 
citizenship whose families reside abroad, basing their conclusion upon 
the assumption that the failure to bring the families to the United 
States evidenced a lack of intention to reside permanently in the 
country of their adoption. The Courts.usually continue the application 
to give the aliens an opportunity to bring their families to the United 
States.” 

Mr. Petersen. ‘‘I cannot understand yet why all Indians are not 


82 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


citizens. They are people, same as the rest of us, and they are born 
here.” 

The Teacher. “ I have a little selection from a decision of the 
United States Supreme court at hand and will read a part of it, ‘In¬ 
dians born within the territorial limits of the United States, members 
of, and owing immediate allegiance to, one of the Indian tribes (an 
alien, though dependent, power) though in the geographical sense 
born in the United States are no more “ born in the United States and 
subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” within the meaning of the first sec¬ 
tion of the Fourteenth amendment, than the children of the subjects 
of any foreign government or the children born within the United States 
of ambassadors or other public ministers of foreign nations.’ You will 
remember that in another chat we talKed of the four ways in which 
an Indian may be deemed to have gained citizenship.” 

Mr. Rosenbaum. ‘‘Will you please tell us of the extra cost which 
might need to be met in getting naturalization papers? ” 

The Teacher. “ Aside from the fees for first and second papers 
you might have to pay for a copy of a lost or destroyed paper which 
is $1.00. A second possible cost is for getting the depositions of wit¬ 
nesses as to residence in another state. That varies somewhat but is 
about $6.00. The third possible additional cost is for serving the sub 
poena to bring in an unwilling witness. The fees charged by the 
sheriff for serving subpoenas vary greatly with circumstances and no 
figure can be given. It is very rare that it is necessary to compel a 
witness to come into court in naturalization. It is usually done as a 
matter of courtesy. Surely every American ought to help all men to 
be Americans.” 

Mr. Pecaut. ‘‘I have been in this country almost five years and 
my first paper is almost two years old. Can I file my petition for 
second paper in August for the November court hearing?” 

The Teacher. “ When will your five years be up and when will 
your first paper be two years old?” 

Mr. Pecaut. ‘‘ In September.” ^ 

The Teacher. ‘‘You cannot file your petition for naturalization un¬ 
til your first paper has been issued fully two years and you have been 
in this country fully five years. August is too soon. You will have to 
wait for the next court hearing.” 

Mr. Andresen. ‘‘ I want to asK what my nationality is. I was born 
in Germany and came to this country a child with my parents. My 
father and mother were divorced after reaching America. My mother 
married an American citizen and thus became an American. My fa¬ 
ther has never been naturalized. I am now of age. I have made my 
home with my mother. Am I an American ? When I tried to enlist I 
could not be sure that I was not an enemy alien. ” 

The Teacher. “ You have gained no citizenship in this land 
through your own efforts. You are either a German through birth—a 
condition your father has done nothing to change—or you are Ameri¬ 
can through your mother’s marriage. The courts have held, I am told 
on the best of authority, that the citizenship of a child follows that of 
the father and not that of the mother. Even if you were given into the 


THE CLOSING LESSON 


83 


custody of your mother by the Court at the time of the divorce, there 
is no provision of the law by which the citizenship of .the custodian of 
a child determines the child’s citizenship. I would advise you to taKe 
out your first paper without delay.” 

Mr. Meyer. “ I have lately learned that I am an enemy alien, al¬ 
though I have thought from childhood that I was an American citizen. 

1 saw in a newspaper that there is a chance for me to become a citi¬ 
zen without iaKing out a first paper.” 

The Teacher. “The authorities at Washington have held that a 
misinformed alien, allowed under the Act of June 25, 1910, to file peti¬ 
tion for naturalization without maKing a declaration of intention still 
has that right. This right having existed prior to the existence of a 
state of war with the two sovereignties has not been denied them by 
the law of May 9, 1918. If you resided constantly in the United States 
during a period of five years next preceding May 1,1910, and because 
of misinformation exercised the rights and duties of an American citi¬ 
zen, the provision of the 1910 law apply to you. But you will not find it 
easy to comply with the conditions.” 

Mr. Jaeger. “ The paper we read at home has an article today say 
ing that ariy first paper issued not more than seven years before the 
existence of a state of war can be used in filing a petition for natural! 
zation. I thinK you said something of the sort in a chat on the new 
naturalization law. You also said later that no first paper was good 
that was more than seven years old. It is now more than eight years 
since war began with Germany and almost eight years since the state 
of war with Austro-Hungrry began.” 

The Teacher. “ I was mistaKen in speaKing of those first papers 
held by alien enemies. The law seems to say so, but we common 
folKs will have to leave an understanding of the law to the lawyers 
and they do not always seem to be unanimous. It is a safe rule to go 
by all the time in naturalization that a declaration of intention is in¬ 
valid for all purposes when more than seven years old.” 

Mr. Tsanoff. “ You said something one day about it being possible 
for a man born in the BalKans who had never seen this country to be 
a better American than a man born here. Where do you find that?” 

The Teacher. “ That statement was made solely on the grounds 
that Americans are people of humanity and devotion to unselfish 
ideals. As John Foster Carr’s Italian waiter says, ‘Americans are not 
people of one blood or one race liKe you French people or us Italians. 
They are people who thinK aliKe.’ Those who join with us in devotion 
to the principles of the Constitution although they may have never 
seen the Constitution are Americans in spirit and as brothers we greet 
.them wherever they may be. Prof. E. A. Steiner tells of such Ameri¬ 
cans in his booKs. John Foster Carr Knows of them, too. At a meeting 
of the American Library Association he told some stories of the love 
of our flag and the ideals it represents. Let me read you the closing 
paragraphs of Mr. Carr’s fine address; 

“‘And so may I give you three stories, each of which I Know to 

be true?’ 


84 


CHATS WITH POSSIBLE AMERICANS 


‘“A friend of mine saw a young Armenian hurl himself into the 
roadway to save our flag, a torn and muddied bit of cotton that had 
been thrown away, from the wheels of an onrushing automobile. He 
grasped the flag, slipped and desperately tried to roll out of the way 
to save himself, but not in time to prevent the crushing of one of 
his legs.’ 

‘“And this comes to me directly. A lady bought an old colonial 
mansion in New Jarsay, reputed to hava baen used as headquarters 
by Washington. For months it had housed a gang of Italian laborers. 
Fearfully, she went to inspect her purchase. She found it indeed 
spoied—a grimy barracKs. But one room was spotless. The answer 
to her suprised question was that the Italians had heard that that room 
was great Washington’s own. So they carefully cleaned it, found a 
lithograph of the famous Stuart portrait in Boston, hung it on the wall 
and under it Kept a glass with a floating and everburning wicK.’ 

“‘I’ve been asKed to tell you again the tale of my Russian-Jewish 
friend, the electrician. I’m glad to do so, because only now can I give 
you the full story.’ f 

“ ‘He was a little, wizened, squint-eyed, old man. He had told me 
that he had come to America because of Lincoln, and I had asKed him 
how that was. He said he was born on the shores of the Sea of Azof, 
and that as a boy he had learned this story: Tolstoi was once travel¬ 
ing in the Caucasus, and being very fond of public speaKing, he one 
day made a speech through an interpreter to a Tartar tribe. He was 
at that time very much interested in Napoleon. So he spoKe of Napo¬ 
leon and of other great war captains.’ 

“‘When he had finished his address, the Tartar chieftain said: 
‘‘ Now will you be good enough to tell my children of a man who was 
far greater than any of these men, of a man who was so great that he 
could even forgive his enemies?’’ When Tolstoi asKed him who that 
might be, he said, “Abraham Lincoln.’’’ 

“ ‘The next time he heard of Lincoln it was in this way: A sailor 
friend, a Russian Christian, returning from one of his voyages, brought 
bacK a wonderful booK in English, of which he Knew a little. “It con¬ 
tains,’’ he said, “things so true and beautiful that they would bring 
tears to your eyes if you could only read them.’’ So they had some 
pages of it translated and heKtographed, aud these they circulated 
among their friends. But some of the sheets fell into the hands of the 
police. And my Jewish friend told me how he and the poor lad’s 
mother, early one morning, crept through the shadows of by-streets 
down to the railroad station, and from the hiding of an old engine 
house saw his friend start on the long journey to Siberia. “ And the 
booK?’’ I eagerly asKed’ “ It was Henry J. Raymond’s ‘ Life, Speeches 
and Public Services of Abraham Lincoln.’’ ’ 

’“‘And so this man came to America. Today, beside his telephone 
in his little shop in New YorK, there are the two great speeches pasted 
on the wall, and very old and dirty they are. I asKed him about them. 
“ Oh,’’ he said, “ 1 learned them quicK. But when I am waiting for a 
telephone call I let my eye go over them, and you Know I always find 
something new and something fine. It is liKe a man who looKs into one 


THE INDEX 


85 


point of the heavens all the time. He ends by discovering' anew star! ’ 

‘“An American by rig'ht of the spirit! Few of them, it is true, are 
liKe my Russian-Jewish friend. But to all of them, particularly now, is 
it our duty to reveal the Ideal America, to prove that the sacred thing's 
of our past, and the great ideals of our fathers, for which they have 
such wonderful, ready, reverence, can still be found in the America 
of today.’ 

“ ‘This is the remedy for the divided allegiance that some fear. 
This is the nation’s great need today—a prepardness for the future 
more important than any other, for it will give us citizens filled with 
devotion to our country and the ideals for which she stands. This is 
our worK and our opportunity. Millions are to come. Some of them 
already are at the gateway, eager to Know of our life and to have a part 
in it, but barred by ignorance.’ 

“ ‘ Shall we not with them build up this America, one with our past, 
into the greatest cosmopolitan nation of the world—a glorious welding 
of men who are one in their desire for Liberty, Equality, Brothehood 
and Peace ?’ 

“‘The worK .that you are doing is a mighty part of it. And there 
came bacK to me certain words from “ The Dream of John Ball:’’ “ In 
these days are ye building a house which shall not be overthrown, 
and the world shall not be too great or too little to hold it; for, indeed, 
it shall be the world itself, set free from evil doers for friends to 
dwell in.. 

Let us close this chat with a little story Hon. Josephus Daniels, Sec¬ 
retary of the Navy tells. I will read a paragraph in which he is talKing 
of immigrants. “ “ I have sometimes thought that we do not show them 
that high type of unselfish citizenship which they were led to believe 
they would find here, and they must have wondered to discover that 
they had in themselves a spirit of love of country and liberty and jus¬ 
tice which they did not find among us. I have thought that they must 
have felt liKe a little adopted girl playing during the recess of school 
with a girl of her own age whose real mother loved her dearly. This 
girl who was the natural daughter said to the adopted girl: 

““You are not your mother’s own child, you are adopted, and she 
does not love you liKe my mother loves me.’’ 

“ “ Oh, yes she does,’’ was the reply; “ my mother chose me, and 
she chose me after she Knew me, and yours didn’t.” 


IF ANYONE SHOULD SURMISE THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS LITTLE 
BOOK, HE CAN REASSURE HIMSELF BY LOOKING OVER 

THE INDEX. 


Absent witnesses, deposition of (64). 
Adulterated milk, law (76). 

Advantages of knowing English (45). 
Advi.se other aliens to naturalize (20). 
Affidavits—for issuing new naturaliza¬ 
tion paper (63), of witness to petitions 
(64), of petitioner and witnesses (34), 
blank (35). 


Alien—definition of (5), arriving under 
wrong name (22), arriving as a stow¬ 
away or deserting seaman (22), arriv¬ 
ing through Canada or Mexico (21), 
with family abroad, naturalization 
(81L has many privileges (5), living 
in two places in same state, natural¬ 
ization (27), not exploited in Iowa 



86 


THE INDEX 


courts (78), stay of should be limited 

(6) , ag-ed 18 may take out first paper 

(7) . 

Alien in U. S. military or naval forces 
nhtuvalization — general provisions 
(13), service prior to January 1, 1900, 
and honorably discharged (16-25), in 
world war (26), in service May 9, 
1918, need not appear in court or take 
oath of allegiance (15), honorably dis¬ 
charged from service (15), serving al 
close of world war or sooner dis¬ 
charged (16), declarant honorably dis¬ 
charged (15), pay no fees to clerk of 
Federal court (15), need no certificate 
of arrival (15), naturalized in most 
convenient court (15). 

Alien, enemy, may appeal to President to 
remove disability (16), allowed to 
gain citizenship (17-18). 

Alien, misinformed, does not need first 
paper (17), chat concerning (61). 

Alien seaman, naturalization-—on U. S. 
fishing vessels (13), served three years, 
a citizen (15), on U. S. merchant ves¬ 
sels (13), holding certificate of good 
conduct from master of vessels (15). 

Alien step-children in America (4). 

Allegiance, Oath of (8). 

Alsace-Lorraine, naturalization of na¬ 
tives (26). 

Amendments to Constitution (32). 

“■America,” a new (68). 

“America is no much merry” (47). 

American citizens who fought with al¬ 
lies, repatriation (15-25). 

American government, diagram of (79). 

American holidays (47). 

American ideals (67). 

American Library association, address 
befoi'e (83). 

American wishing to change citizenship 
(36). 

Americanism, definition of (2). 

Americans who have never seen Amer¬ 
ica (83). 

Amusements in Davenport (72). 

Anarchy (34-44), anarchist not nat¬ 
uralized (7). 

Articles of Confederation (31-40). 

Attorney General of the United States 
(61). will receive appeals from certain 
aliens (18). 

Ballot, how restricted (3), given to 
declarants (3). 

Black Hawk Purchase (41). 

Blanks—affidavit to replace lost or de¬ 
stroyed paper (60), PMcts for Declara¬ 
tion of Intention (9-10), Facts for Pe¬ 
tition for Naturalization (22-23), mis¬ 
informed alien (62), Request for Cer¬ 
tificate of Arrival (20). 

Books and bulletins for candidates for 
citizenship (15). 

Border cities lawful for entry (12). 

Borrowing money (72). 

Brown race and naturalization (16-18). 

Buying on installments (77). 

Cabinet, President’s (48-55). 

Campbell, Hon. Richard K., Commis¬ 
sioner of Naturalization (32). 

Canal Zone, residence for naturaliza¬ 
tion (15). 

Candidates for citizenship to receive 
books and bulletins (15). 

Carr, John Foster (83). 

Certificates—'Of arrival (35), of arrival, 
request for (64),_of arrival not needed 
for aliens in U. S. service (15). of filing 
not used here (66), of landing (64), 


of landing not required for aliens 
landing before June 29, 1906 (25), of 
naturalization (59-65), of naturaliza¬ 
tion granted up to December 31, 1918, 
on petitions filed prior to January 31, 
1918, upon declarations filed prior to 
September 27, 1906 (18). 

Change of citizenship from American 
(36). 

Change of name (11). 

Character, residence and loyalty, condi¬ 
tion of receiving naturalization (8). 

Chattel mortgages (77). 

Child labor laws (76). 

Children of Mongolians may be citizens 
(4). 

Choice of citizenship a natural right (4). 

Church going (71). 

Citizens, constitutional definition (4). 

Citizenship—a national matter (3), 
gained in several ways (8), of Indians 
(12-81), may be taken away from 
those naturalized (18), not gained by 
adoption (4) of step-children of citi¬ 
zen (4), and voting (3), of widow nat¬ 
uralized by marriage (12), of women 
and children (4-30-33-36), 

City of Davenport, map, (14). 

City of Davenport township (50). 

City government (57). 

City government, diagram of (80). 

City ordinances (73). 

Civics class have written test (81). 

Civil war (41). 

Clerk of District Court (9-11-18-20-21- 
33-34-35-45-49-5^7-58-59-61-63-64-65). 

Club, A New American’s (69). 

Concealed Weapons, Carrying, law of 

(78) . 

Conditions of receiving citizenship, resi¬ 
dence, character, loyalty (8). 

Constitution, Iowa (31). 

Constitution, U. S. (31-40-53), preamble 
of (31), principles of (31), to be 
studied (19). 

Copy of lost or destroyed naturalization 
paper, how secured (59), affidavit for 
(63), cost (82), 

(3ost—of getting depositions of witness¬ 
es in another state (82), of replacing 
lost or destroyed paper (82), of wit¬ 
nesses in petitioning for naturalization 
(34). 

Court hearing. The (57). 

Date of hearing petition determined by 
elections (36). 

Davenport, our home town (70). 

Davenport Institute, The (72). 

Days when first paper may be taken out 
(36). 

Declarant, definition of (19). 

Declarants vote in some states (3). 

Declaration of Intention (35-63), da,ted 
before September 29, 1906 (24), 

Definitions-:—alien (5), Americanism (2), 
declarant (19), loyalty (16), natural¬ 
ization (6). 

Department of Immigration (45). 

Depositions of absent witnesses to prove 
residence in another state (64). 

Diagrams—of American government 

(79) , of city government (80), of na¬ 
tional government (80), of state gov¬ 
ernment (80). 

Disloyalty of naturalized citizens (18). 

District of Columbia (7). 

Divorce, Lav'^s of (75). 

Double allegiance (46). 

Duties of children to parents, laws of 
(75). 


THE INDEX 


87 


1 


Duties of parents to children, laws (75). 

Duty to support, laws of (75). 

Eliot, Dr. Charles W. (67). 

Employer’s liability law (78). 

Employment in Davenport (70). 

Enemy aliens—definition (5), naturali¬ 
zation during war (13-15-16-17-18), 
some may appeal to president (16-61), 
alien declarants having first papers is¬ 
sued less than two years before war 
or since that time (18), 

English language—needed for naturali¬ 
zation (45), benefits in citizenship 
(19). 

Examiner, Naturalization, and judge, 
helpful friends (8). 

Examiner from U, S. naturalization bu¬ 
reau (58). 

Executive branch of government (53). 

Expatriation of naturalized Americans 
(4). 

Expense of naturalization (9). 

Facts for Declaration of Intention (63). 

Federal court, local, does not naturalize 
(9). 

Fees—^for declaration of intention (10), 
for petition for naturalization (33- 
.35). for depositions of witnesses in 
another state (82), for serving sub¬ 
poena on unwilling witness (82), for 
securing copy of lost or destroyed pa¬ 
per (82), not collected by clerk of Fed¬ 
eral court from aliens in U. S. mili¬ 
tary or naval service (15), for nat¬ 
uralization (63-64). 

Felons, thieves, etc., not made citizens 

( 8 ). 

Fifth step in naturalization (65). 

Filing the petition (33). 

Filipinos in U, S. service, naturalization 
of (13-16). 

First paper—(35), taking out (9), lost, 
to replace (11), less than seven years 
old (11), taken out less than two years 
before the war or since that time (18), 
not given certain days (36), not sup¬ 
posed to expire (24), not needed for 
alien in U. S. service prior to January 
1, 1900, and honorably discharged 

(16). not needed by misinformed alien 
(17-25-83), must not be over seven 
years old (83), not needed for alien in 
U. S. service (13). 

First step in naturalization (63). 

Five years’ residence requirement per¬ 
mits visiting (8-35). 

Five years’ residence proof not required 
in naturalizing—aliens honorably dis¬ 
charged from U. S. service or holding 
certificates of good conduct (15), some 
aliens (13), alien now in U. S. service 

(26) , also Porto Rican or alien three 
years on U. S. ship, also Filipino in 
navy or on merchant or fishing ves¬ 
sel three years (26), alien declarant 
honorably discharged from U. S. serv¬ 
ice (26), alien honorably discharged 
after service prior to January 1, 1900 

(27) , alien seaman .serving on Amer¬ 
ican ship (27), alien honorably dis¬ 
charged for disability incurred in line 
of duty (27). 

Flag, our, history (42). 

]<''oreign Colonies (46). 

Foreign language press and books in 
Americanization (46). 

Forms/Of organized government (531. 

Fourth step in naturalization (64). 

I'Yauds in naturalization (9). 

Freedom of speech (.29). 


Freedom of worship (29). 

Friendly aliens, definition (5). 

Friendly House (2). 

Gambling or liquor selling may exclude 
alien from citizenship (8). 

Garnishment of wages, law (77). 

Geography (37). ' 

German immigrant loses citizenship 
(81). 

Gompers, Samuel (46). 

Government—(49), diagram of Ameri¬ 
can (79), diagram of city (80), of na¬ 
tional (80), of state (80), methods to 
be studied (19). 

Grant, Ulysses S. (41). 

Helping other aliens to become citizens 
(30). 

History—'(39), American, needed for 
good citizenship (19). 

Holidays, Iowa (47). 

Home town, our, Davenport (70). 

Husband and wife, laws of (75). 

Ideals, American (67). 

Ignorance of law (78). 

Impure food, laws concerning (76). 

Independent School District of Daven¬ 
port (50). 

Indians, their citizenship (12-81). 

Interned, disloyal naturalized citizens 
may be (17). 

Intoxicating liquors, laws concerning 
(78). 

Iowa—holidaj'^s (47), map (38), som.e 
laws (73), state government (55). 

Judge of District court (58-59-65). 

Judge and Examiner helpful friends (8). 

Judicial branch of government (55). 

Juvenile court (75). 

Landlord and tenant, law (77). 

Lee, Gen. Robert E. (41). 

Legislative branch of government (53). 

Lend-a-Hand club (73). 

Letter to Attorney General, details (61). 

Limits—to will of majority (50), of race 
in naturalization (7), of alien’s stay in 
this country (7). 

Lincoln, Abraham (32-41-84). 

Liquor selling or gambling may exclude 
alien from citizenship (8). 

Lodges and societies (71). 

Loss of citizenship by German (81). 

Louisiana purchase (41). 

Loyalty (66). 

Loyalty, character, residence, conditions 
of receiving naturalization (8). 

Making declaration of intention (9). 

Maps—of Davenport (14), of Iowa (38), 
of Scott county (51), of United State.';-. 
(75), showing congressional districts 
(38). 

Marriage, laws of (73). 

Milk station (72). 

Misinfoi-med alien (61-83). 

Mistaken alien (61). 

Moral character proof not reciuired in 
naturalizing aliens honorably dis¬ 
charged or holding certificates of good 
conduct (15), in .service at clo.se of 
war or sooner honorably discharged 
(16). 

Morris bank. The (72).^ 

Mother’s i^iension law (75). 

]Nq-ame—given in naturalization must be 
right one (11), can be changed at 
naturalization (11-36). 

Nationality of alien minor determined 
by father (82). ^ 

National government, diagram of (80). 

Naturalizatiop-—Definition (6), a privi¬ 
lege not a right (7), qualifications 


88 


THE INDEX 


(7), first step (63), second step (63), 
tliird step (64), fourth step (64), fifth 
step (65), sixth step (65), fees 
(63-64), petition for (64), witnesses 
(64-65), law of May 9, 1918, (13), of 
alien enemies (17), of alien with fam¬ 
ily abroad (81), of alien in U. S. serv¬ 
ice (13), of honorably discharged 
alien declarants (15), of Filipinos in 
U. S. service (13), of Porto llicans in 
U, S. service (13), of misinformed 
alien (17), of natives of Alsace-Lor¬ 
raine (26), of alien who has lived two 
places in same state (27), of aliens 
on merchant vessels (13), of aliens 
on U, S. fishing? vessels (13), of aliens 
in U, S. service at close of world war 
or sooner discharged (16), 

Naturalized citizens may lose their citi¬ 
zenship (17). 

New American’s club (69). 

New Naturalization law (13). 

Nig-ht school (71). 

Oath of allegiance—(8-58), repatriates 
citizens fighting with armies of allies 
(15). 

Oleomargerine, laws concerning (77). 

Ottesen, Tlealff, assistant county attor¬ 
ney (73). 

Parks in Davenport (72). 

Passports (29). 

Patriotic song, A (68). 

Petitioner for naturalization—Petition 
(64), affidavit of witnesses (64), wit- 
nes.ses (33), fees (33), items on blank 
(33), former petition has been denied 
(^4), must have first paper two years 
old and in country five years (82). 

Petitioner for naturalization, require¬ 
ments (33). 

Philippine Islands, residence in (15). 

Pledge to the flag (44). 

Polygamist not naturalized (7). 

Polygamy (34-44). 

Poor people helped (72). 

Porto Ricans in U. S. service naturalized 
(13). 

Possessions of U. S. (39). 

Preamble of the Constitution (31). 

Preparation of the declarant for citizen¬ 
ship (19). 

President may be appealed to by enemy 
alien (16). 

President Woodrow Wilson (66-67). 

Presidents of the United States to date 
(42). ' 

Presidential succession (48). 

Pretended help in getting papers (9). 

Principles of the (Constitution (7-32). 

Privileges of Aliens (5). 

Proof of five years’ residence not re¬ 
quired (See five years’ residence proof 
not required). 

Public baths (72). 

Public library (71). 

Qualifications for naturalization (7). 

Repairs on rented property (77). 

Repatriation of American citizens who 
fought with allies (15). 

Replacing lost naturalization papers 
(59-63-82). 

Representatives in Congress, number 
from each state (39). 

Request for certificate of arrival—(64), 
how made (20). 

Residence, character, loyalty, condition 
for receiving citizenship (8). 

Residence proof—changed for aliens in 
U. S. service prior to January 1, 1900, 
and honorably discharged (16). not 
required for aliens in U, S. service at 


close of war or sooner discharged (15). 

Restrictions on the ballot (3). 

Revolution, war of the (40). 

Right to assemble (29). 

Right to vote a state matter (3 ). 

Rights and duties of citizens (29). 

River rides at Davenport (73). 

Tiunaway seamen (45). 

St. Wapniacl (48). 

Saving money in banks (71). 

School district. Independent of Daven¬ 
port (50). 

School laws ( 76). 

Schools (71). 

Scott county—(51), officials (49), map 
(51). 

Seaman, alien, who has served three 
years deemed a citizen (15). 

Second paper (59), taking out (33), 
taken out up to December 31, 1918, on 
petitions filed prior to January 31, 
1918, on first papers taken out before 
September 27, 1906 (18), cannot file 
petition until in country five years and 
first paper is fully two years old (82). 

Second step in naturalization (63). 

Sixth step in naturalization (65). 

Social centers (71). 

Some Iowa laws (73). 

Spanish-American war (41). 

State government, diagram of 80). 

States and territories, capitals and num¬ 
ber of representatives in congress (39). 

Steiner, Prof. E. A. (83). 

Street cars and interurbans (73). ' 

Subpoena (65). 

Support, laws concerning duty (75). 

TalVjot, Winthrop (50). 

Tenant’s notice to quit (77). 

Theaters (72). 

Third step in Naturalization (64). 

Turner societies (72). 

United States, map of (75). 

United States Naturalization Examiner 
(65). 

Unlimited stay of aliens (6). 

Unsanitary conditions, laws of (76). 

Unwelcome aliens (44). 

A^isiting nurses (72). 

A''isiting or pleasure trip abroad does not 
affect required five years of residence 
(8-35). 

A^'oting a state matter (3). 

Voting and citizenship (3). 

AVars—between the states (41), civil 
(41), of the Rebellion (41), of the 
Revolution (40), of 1812 (41), fought 
for naturalization (41), with Mexico 
(41), Spanish-American (41), with 
(Germany and Austria (41). 

AVashington, George (40-84). 

AA^'est Side Settlement (71). 

AA'hite House, The (7). 

AVidow of alien who marries American 
(12-24). 

AA^ilson, President (66-67). 

AVitnesses—(65), in naturalization (23- 
64-65). for second paper (33-34), to 
petition, affidavit (64), needed for nat¬ 
uralization of aliens in LT. S. service 
(15), at court hearing (57), deposi¬ 
tion of absent (64), in other states, 
cost of deposition (82). 

AVomen and children, citizenship of (4- 
30-33-36). 

AVorkman’s compensation law (78). 

AA^'orship, freedom of (29). 

AA^ritten test closing civic class (81). 

A'oung Men’s Christian Association (73). 

Young AA’'omen’s Christian Association 
(73). 






